I'll Wait for You
by kbeautimous
Summary: Piper Finley has known the Winchesters since she was sixteen years old. Now, as a hunter on her own, she's pulled back into their world. She fights next to Dean as they face the apocalypse, betrayal, and loss together. [OFC insert, starts at S2E2 and follows the story, WILL contain explicit sex scenes] [ON HIATUS AS OF 10/07/2018]
1. Wanna Tell Me What The Hell Happened?

****Story begins S2E2, right after John dies.**

 **xxxxx**

As he watched his brother walk out the door for the second morning in a row, Sam Winchester wrestled with the decision presented with him again. Maybe she could help. She was the closest thing the boys had ever had to an actual friend. Sam hadn't seen her in over two years, but they emailed frequently, so he knew that she and Dean had gone on a few hunts together in the time between when he left Stanford and when Dean dragged him back into hunting.

She and Dean weren't close by any means, but Sam didn't know who else to turn to. He wouldn't talk to Bobby, he wouldn't talk to Sam. Maybe she could help. Without letting himself think about it again, Sam pushed the "call" button on his cell phone. He put his phone up to his ear, closed his eyes, and listened to it ring, hoping he was making the right decision.

 **xxxxx**

AC/DC's "Back in Black" started blaring from Piper Finley's cell phone on the floor. She groaned, cracked one hazel eye open, and flung her hand around the floor to find it. The man in the bed next to her groaned and slipped an arm around her waist. She pushed it off as she saw the caller ID.

Rolling onto her back, she answered. "Sam?"

A pause. "Piper? You answered quick."

She smiled. "You know me, always at your beck and call."

It didn't get the chuckle she had sought. "Sam?" She asked. "What's wrong?"

"Pipe, I think we need you." Sam's tear-filled voice had her sitting up and swinging her legs over to the side of the bed, looking for her pants with one hand in the dark. "Sam, what happened?"

"Dad… Piper… We found Dad, and he was looking for the demon who killed Mom… And then, Dad and I, and Dean... We were in an accident, we think the demon who killed Mom… And Dean, he wasn't waking up, we thought… We thought he wasn't going to-"

"Stop, Sam." Piper said gently as she pulled her skinny jeans on with one hand, still searching for her shirt and her shoes. "Sam, I'm on my way, tell me when I get there, okay? Where are you?"

"Pipe, Dad's dead."

Piper stopped as dread filled her, and tears she wasn't accustomed to filled her eyes. _John can't be dead, he's invincible. He's John Winchester._ She took a deep, shaking breath to calm herself. _Don't break down right now, Sam needs you._

"Sam, where are you guys? I'm coming to you."

"We're at Bobby's."

Piper smiled. "Good, I'm already in South Dakota. I'll be there in a few hours, okay?"

She flipped her phone shut and took another deep breath before pulling her shirt over her head. The man who was in the bed was awake and looking at her as she found her boots and sat to put them on. "So, you're leaving?" He asked, gently.

She didn't look at him. "Looks like."

"Can I assume you're not going to call? You don't even know my name."

She looked at him through the curtain of her obnoxious purple hair and smiled. "Well, how can I call if I don't know your name?"

She stood and found her leather jacket, slipped her phone into her pocket, and pulled her keys out. As she turned, she realized that she felt a little guilty, leaving here like this. So she turned back and smiled as she opened the door. "Look, this is a family emergency. Last night was great, I just have to leave."

He was propped up on his elbows now, his chiseled chest being spotlighted by the morning sun. Honestly, if Piper wasn't so worried about Sam (and Dean, her traitorous mind reminded her), she would have crawled back into bed. But she had things to do, family to help.

"So… Are you coming back?" he asked hesitantly.

Piper looked into his beautiful blue eyes, tamped down the wish they were a different color, and shook her head. No point in giving the poor guy false hope. "No," she said, and slipped out the door.

 **xxxxx**

The drive to Bobby's place was quiet. Piper found the radio too overwhelming right now, so she let herself get lost in her thoughts. More accurately, her memories.

 _She was sitting at a crappy table, with a crappy blanket around her shoulders, glaring at Dean. "You cheated!"_

 _His smirk made her flush with anger. "I did not, you're a sore loser."_

 _Sam, who was sitting between them, laughed. "Piper, you really do suck at losing."_

 _She glared at both of them, then started hard as the door opened. Neither of the boys flinched, nor did they comment on the (luckily) empty glass she'd knocked over. She was still nervous, on edge all the time. Dean watched her with something akin to concern in his eyes._

 _She smiled as John came in. He gave her a half-smile back, and looked at Dean. "Dean, take your brother across the street for dinner. Piper and I will join you in a few minutes."_

 _Dean look startled. "Um, okay. Come on, Sammy."_

 _"Dean, watch out for your brother." John warned. Piper frowned. As if Dean didn't already spend all of his time worrying about Sam. The additional reminder really wasn't necessary._

 _"Yes, sir." Dean replied obediently, and pulled Sam out the door._

 _John sat across from Piper and looked at her for a minute. Finally, he spoke. "Piper, you've been with us for a while. I need to know what you want to do."_

 _Her eyes widened. "What do you mean?" She'd been with the boys for three weeks, since they had hunted and killed the werewolf who had killed her parents. She had no close family, so John had taken her with them. She wasn't sure why he kept her with them, surely she was a huge pain, but he did, and it was good enough for her. "What are my options?" she asked shakily._

 _He sighed and kept eye contact with her. "What I should do is drop you off with social services. Or find someone in your family who can take you."_

 _Piper was already shaking her head. "I don't want either of those things. I… I want to be a hunter." she said shyly, lowering her eyes to the table._

 _John frowned. "Piper, this isn't really a life for a sixteen-year-old girl-"_

 _"Dean's only seventeen." she objected._

 _John's frown seemed to deepen. "Piper, I don't think that's a good idea. Dean's been doing this from a very young age, and so has Sam. You only found out about this three weeks ago, you can't make that kind of decision in three weeks."_

 _Piper's chin tilted up, taking a stubborn slant that John would get to know very well. "Yes, I can. This is what I want." Her pretty hazel eyes spit fire at him. "Is it because I'm a girl?"_

 _John's eyebrows rose. "No, it's not. I know plenty of women who are good hunters, it's because I'm worried about you."_

 _Piper's frown matched John's. "Well, don't. I'm not a kid, John, and I want to do this."_

 _They stared at one another, battling each other with will. Finally, John sighed. "Fine, we'll take you to Bobby…"_

Piper smiled through the memory. She had gone to Bobby's, where they had fought like cats and dogs until he agreed to train her, and things had smoothed out between them. Bobby had become a surrogate father, making sure she finished school, keeping her on the right track, trying to convince her to go to college. In the end, she had decided to become a hunter, but not for lack of other choices. Bobby made sure she finished growing up right.

The Winchesters had shown up periodically after that, mostly when John left Sam and Dean there to hunt alone. Piper had become incredibly close with Sam, and was still able to confidently call him her best friend. After Sam left for Stanford, she emailed him in secret frequently. She had offered her help when John had disappeared, but Sam had declined, worried for her safety, and worried that his brother would pitch a fit if he invited her. So she had continued doing her thing, keeping an eye on her phone in case the Winchester brothers needed her. And now, they did.

She pulled into Singer's Salvage late in the morning, maneuvering around the broken cars in the lot. She heard the radio and metal on metal, and assumed that Dean was somewhere in the yard. As was habit, she resisted seeking him out first, and went to the house to find Sam.

Before Piper got out of the car, he was opening the door, with Bobby quickly following. She opened her door and made to turn to get her bag, but before she could she got a good look at Sam. So instead, she left her bag in the passenger seat, left the driver's side door open, and ran to him. She jumped a little when she got there, and he caught her and held her close. He buried his face in her neck, and she whispered soothing nonsense into his ear. She felt the collar of her shirt dampen, and for the second time today, her eyes filled with tears at his pain.

"Shh, Sammy, it's okay, I'm back. I'm here, we'll do this together, okay?" she murmured soothingly. He nodded silently, refusing to put her down (her feet were still about six inches off the ground), or to pull away from her. Instead, he muttered into her neck. "Nice hair."

She smiled as Bobby cleared his throat. "How about putting my girl down and letting the rest of us say hello, too, Sam?" he grumbled.

Sam gave a watery chuckle and put Piper down. She smiled and ran a hand down his face before turning and launching herself at Bobby, who caught her with a surprised grunt. "Hi, Bobby." she said softly.

"Hi, honey. I'm sorry it had to take something like this for us to call you back home," Bobby apologized gruffly, ruffling her vibrant hair as he pulled out of their embrace.

She smiled. "Don't, Bobby. I would have come back either way." She looked at them. "Is Dean working on Baby?"

Bobby snorted. "Don't know what good it's going to do, but yes, he is."

Sam sighed. "Pipe, can you try to talk to him? He won't talk to me or Bobby."

Piper looked at the ground and scuffed her boot into the ground. "Sam, he won't talk to me, either. Dean and I aren't close like you and I are."

Sam shook his head. "He's just bad at showing it, Pipe, he cares about you."

Pleading brown eyes met her concerned hazel eyes. Piper groaned and looked at the ground again to conceal her blush. "Fine, but don't blame me if this doesn't work, and don't blame me if he kills me with a wrench on sight."

Sam smiled as she turned and walked into the yard, stopping to sling her bag over her shoulder and shut the door to her Jeep on the way.

She wound her way through the cars, her stomach starting to knot up with nerves as she got closer to the music. She hadn't seen Dean in over a year, since they had worked a relatively simple salt and burn together. She was actually kind of worried he would react violently when he saw her. Dean didn't have a very cool head.

She found him working on Baby, laying on two big pieces of plywood scooted underneath her. Instead of announcing her presence, she sat on the hood of a nearby sedan, put her bag on the ground, and leaned back on her hands to soak in the sun. Dean would notice her when he was ready to.

 **xxxxx**

She was actually starting to doze off when he did.

"Piper. What are you doing here?" he asked gruffly, eyeing her hair after he got over his initial shock.

She opened her eyes and lifted her head to look at him. "Sam called." she said simply.

Dean's green eyes narrowed when he looked at her. "To what? To come check up on me?" He huffed as he went to the table near where he was working.

Piper rolled her eyes. "No, Winchester, Jesus. Not everything is about you, you know." she sighed and softened her tone. "Sam called because he's hurting. I came because you guys are the closest thing I have to family, and when something terrible happens, family gathers. I'm not here to 'check up on you.' I'm here to ask if you need anything."

Dean showed no emotion at her words, but nodded. "Sure, come here, we'll cuddle and talk about our damn feelings."

His words stung Piper, probably more than they should have. Instead of getting upset, she just stood and pulled her bag up from the ground. "Fine, be a sarcastic douche bag. I don't care." She leveled him with a look. "But when you realize you can't do this alone, you know where to find me." She turned on her heel and walked back up to the house. She heard him turn the radio up and slide back under the Impala.

 **xxxxx**

Dean heard Sam approach, but said nothing. Sam didn't wait. "How's the car coming along?"

"Slow." Dean grunted.

He heard Sam sigh. "Yeah? Need any help?"

"What, you, under a hood? I'll pass." Dean started to pull himself out from under Baby.

"Need anything else, then?" Sam asked.

"Stop it, Sam." Dean said as he got up and walked toward the table where he was keeping the tools he was using.

"Stop what?" Sam asked, feigning ignorance.

"Stop asking if I need anything, stop asking if I'm okay, stop sending Piper down here to check on me. I'm okay." He looked over his shoulder at his younger brother. "Really, I promise."

Dean tensed as Sam let out another sigh.

"All right, Dean, it's just... We've been at Bobby's for over a week now and you haven't brought up Dad once. "

Dean's temper snapped at him. First Piper, who Dean knew was sent by Sam, no matter what she claimed, and now Sam. "You know what? You're right. Come here. I'm gonna lay my head gently on your shoulder. Maybe we can cry, hug, and maybe even slow dance!" he snapped, using a similar line to the one he'd used to make Piper leave.

Sam, however, was more stubborn, and just frowned. "Don't patronize me, Dean, Dad is dead. The Colt is gone, and it seems pretty damn likely that the demon is behind all of this, and you're acting like nothing happened."

"What do you want me to say?"

"Say something, all right? Hell, say anything! Aren't you angry? Don't you want revenge? But all you do is sit out here all day long buried underneath this damn car." Sam shouted.

"Revenge, huh?"

"Yeah."

Dean scoffed. "Sounds good. You got any leads on where the demon is? Making heads or tails of any of Dad's research? Because I sure ain't. But you know, if we do finally find it... Oh." He stopped and pretended to ponder. "No, wait, like you said. The Colt's gone. But I'm sure you've figured out another way to kill it. We've got nothing, Sam. Nothing, okay? So you know the only thing I can do? Is I can work on the car." Dean turned around and crouched to work on Baby again when Sam spoke.

"Well, we've got something, all right." Sam pulled out a cell phone and started pressing buttons. "It's what I came by here to tell you. This is one of dad's old phones. Took me a while, but I cracked his voicemail code. Listen to this."

Sam held the phone out to Dean. With a begrudging look, Dean stood and took the phone, holding it up to his ear. A strange woman's voice. "John, it's Ellen. Again. Look, don't be stubborn, you know I can help you. Call me."

Dean handed the phone back to Sam, who said, "That message is four months old."

Dean's eyebrows rose. "Dad saved that chick's message for four months?"

"Yeah."

"Well, who's Ellen? Any mention of her in Dad's journal?"

"No. But I ran a trace on her phone number and I got an address."

Dean thought for a moment. "Ask Bobby if we can use one of his cars."

Sam nodded, and turned to walk away when Dean spoke again. "And Piper is not coming with us."

Sam turned around, irritated. "Why not, Dean? She's a good hunter, we could use her help."

Dean scoffed. "We don't need your little girlfriend slowing us down, Sam. Leave her here. Put her on research."

Sam scowled. "You know as well as I do that she's just a good as hunter as either of us, she's not my girlfriend, and she's every bit your friend as she is mine."

Dean scoffed again. Piper may have been close with him at one point, but the last few years she had pulled away. Hell, she barely even made eye contact with him anymore, unless she was angry with him. He couldn't remember the last time she'd touched him, or that she'd let him touch her.

Her relationship with Sam, however, had not changed. She thought she was being sneaky when they had gone on the few hunts they'd gone on together, but he knew she'd been emailing and texting Sam. While her and Dean's relationship wasn't all business, it wasn't nearly as close as she and Sam.

He looked at Sam and pointed a wrench at him. "No, Sam, she's not going."

Piper was fuming. The Winchesters had already gone. Who the hell did Dean think he was, dictating where she could and could not go. At least he could have had the guts to tell me himself, she thought coldly. Instead, they had pretty much gotten ready and gone while she was still settling in. Sam had text her as they drove out.

 **xxxxx**

 _"Hey, I'm sorry about this, but Dean doesn't want you to go. We're investigating an old voicemail that Dad had left in his mailbox, from a woman named Ellen."_

 _"What the hell, Sam?! Why does Dean just get to decide that I'm not going?"_

 _"I'm sorry, Pipe. Just give him a chance to calm down."_

Piper hadn't responded, and wasn't sure she was going to. If Dean honestly didn't want her help, she wasn't going to jump through hoops to provide it. She'd be here for Sam, but she wasn't going to be left behind. She could be there for him from the road, hunting on her own.

Bobby came into the kitchen to find her seething at the table. "You know that boy is an idjit, right?" he asked casually.

Piper jumped. She hadn't heard him come in. A soft smile spread across her face. "I know, Bobby. But what the hell?" She ran a frustrated hand through her hair. "I came to help them, and not an hour after I get here, they beat feet. What am I supposed to do?"

Bobby sat down and sighed. "Look, Piper, I can't tell you what those boys are thinking, because I have no idea, and I don't want to know." They shared a smile. "But I can tell you this. It means something to them both that you're here, not just Sam. They're both going to be glad you're around. You'll just have to give them a chance to show you that."

Piper sighed, and looked around the kitchen. "I'll try, Bobby, but I'm not going to hang around here and hold my tongue for very long. I'm not going to become his punching bag." she finished quietly.

 **xxxxx**

Bobby looked at his surrogate daughter without speaking. He didn't have to ask who "he" was. Bobby had suspected for a while that Piper's feelings for Dean ran deeper than friendship. But she had kept her distance, only helping on hunts when he asked, and never staying long after. Bobby wasn't sure what was stopping her. Surely she had to know that Dean would be luckier than he deserved to have her?

Bobby didn't say any of that. Instead, "I know, darlin'. But try to stick around for a while, I think they'll come around sooner rather than later."

Piper smiled at him, stood, and looked around the kitchen. "All right, well, then. If they don't need me, it looks like this messy-ass kitchen does. What the hell do you do in here, old man?" she asked cheerfully as she headed in to start dishes.

Bobby grumbled and grouched, but smiled as soon as she wasn't looking at him. It was good to have his girl back.

 **xxxxx**

A couple of days later, the boys arrived back in the van. Piper met them at the door, wiping her hands on the apron she was wearing. She crossed her arms as Sam looked at her sheepishly, and Dean just looked at her.

Piper didn't want to fight. She had cooled off considerably since they'd left. So, instead, "So? Who is Ellen? What took you guys so long? And are you hungry?"

Sam smiled gratefully at her. "Her name is Ellen Harvelle. She's a hunter, owns a bar called 'The Roadhouse.' She gave us a case to work on while one of her partners dug up some research on the demon who killed mom." He was speaking as he walked up the stairs, and she held the door open for him and Dean. She followed them inside.

"What was the case?" she asked, interested.

"Rakshasa," Dean said, putting his bag on the table. "A race of ancient Hindu creatures. They appear in human form, they feed on human flesh, they can make themselves invisible, and they can't enter a home without first being invited. Took him out with a brass knife."

Piper didn't meet Dean's gaze, just looked back at the stove where she was cooking. "Well, good, I'm glad you guys are okay. You said Ellen's associate is researching the demon?"

She saw Dean nod in her peripheral vision. "He's tracking it for us. I don't know how the hell he's doing it, but if the omens surrounding the demon happen, he'll let us know where and when."

Piper nodded once firmly. "Good. Now, everyone go clean up, lunch is almost ready."

She bustled around the kitchen, ignoring all three of them. She turned back to put the salad she had made on the table and almost bumped into Dean, who was standing behind her. She squeaked and caught herself. He backed up to let her pass. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

She smiled. "It would take more than you to put a scare into me, Winchester." She replied as she placed the salad on the table. She turned back around to find him looking at her. She hated the blush she felt rising to her face. Why couldn't she just look at him without blushing like a damn high schooler? "What? What's wrong, Winchester?" she asked, her gaze dropping to the floor.

"I shouldn't have yelled at you the other day. I'm sorry." he said shortly, keeping his eyes on her.

She looked up at him, her eyes widening when they met his. "It's okay." she said shortly, turning to move the plate of burgers to the table. "Don't worry about it."

He kept his gaze on her for a few more seconds, then nodded and walked out of the kitchen.

She watched his retreating back and leaned back against the sink. Then she turned, ran cold water, and splashed some into her burning face. "Down, girl." she muttered to herself. If she was going to stay, she was going to have to find a way to interact with Dean without yelling at him, and without totally ignoring him. _He's dense, but he'll notice eventually, if he hasn't already,_ she thought as she toweled off her face. _It'll keep until after lunch, at least._

 **xxxxx**

Piper served Sam and Bobby lunch, but Dean had already gone back out to work on Baby. Piper ignored him, and spent the time talking to Sam about the case they had just worked, and the hunters they had met at Ellen's bar. She was laughing at his description of Ash as they washed dishes when he sobered for a second.

"Piper, I think Dean was right. I don't think I'm dealing with Dad's death. I think what he said-"

She put a hand on his arm and looked up at him, studying his face. He had lost the last of his baby fat, and his hair was getting long. And he was so freaking tall. "Sam. Don't say this to me. Tell this to Dean. He's the one who needs to hear it," she said softly. He looked at her with tears in his eyes and nodded. He handed Piper the dish towel he'd been using to dry and walked out.

Piper sighed and leaned against the sink. She could feel herself being pulled back into the Winchester family. She had distanced herself for a reason. There wasn't going to be a way to protect herself if she let herself keep down this path. But they needed her. And God knew that she was completely helpless against those brown and green eyes needing her. She covered her face with her hands and groaned. It was going to be a long few days.

 **xxxxx**

Dean's chest was heaving with emotion as he looked after Sam. Part of him was dreading looking at Baby, and the damage he'd just done to her with a tire iron. He felt tears start swelling in his eyes and he fought to control himself. He felt something drip down his cheek and off of his jaw, and looked down to see that it was blood. He reached up to touch his face and realized there was a piece of glass embedded into his cheek.

"Great job, jackass. Way to be in control." he muttered to himself as he dropped the tire iron and made his way to the house.

When he walked in, the first person he saw was Piper. She had pulled her violently purple hair into a bun, and she had her face covered with her hands and was mumbling to herself. He approached slowly. "Piper? Are you okay?" he asked, his voice rough with pent up emotion.

She jumped and looked at him. "Yeah, I- What the hell happened to your face, Dean?" she exclaimed, hurrying over to him with concerned eyes.

He took a moment to respond. He was trying to remember the last time she'd called him by his first name as she pulled him toward the table and forced him down into a chair. She grabbed the first aid kit from the cabinet and pulled a chair up next to him. "Hello? Earth to Winchester?" she asked, concern clouding her gaze.

Dean shook his head and tried to stand up. "Uh, I'm fine. Just got a piece of glass stuck, nothing I can't handle-"

She grabbed his shoulders and pushed him back down. "No. Sit down and let me look at it." Her tone was commanding, and her gaze was intent on his cheek. Dean blinked and obeyed as he watched a piece of hair fall from her bun and land on her forehead.

"Okay, it's not too bad. Just sit still and don't be a baby about what I have to do next," Piper said shortly as she pulled out a long pair of tweezers out of the first aid kit.

He eyed them warily. "What exactly do you think you're going to do with those?"

She bit her lip in concentration, ignoring his tone as she leaned forward and advanced with the tweezers. Quickly, before he could react, she had reached up, pulled the piece of glass out of his cheek, and put it back down on the table. "Ow!" he yelped, glaring at her. "Damn it, woman!"

She chuckled as she got out peroxide and a cotton ball. "Shut it, Winchester, I told you not to be a baby," she chided as she dabbed his cheek with peroxide. He winced as it stung.

Piper pulled out a butterfly bandage and removed the backing. She bit her lip as she leaned forward and applied it to the cut. Dean watched her, her gaze unmoving from the cut. He watched the tiny flecks of dark green in her irises, and admired the way her purple hair contrasted with them. _When did Piper get kind of hot?_

Piper sat back and admired her handiwork. Then she looked at him, amusement and concern warring in her expression. "So," she said casually, "Wanna tell me what the hell happened?"

Dean grunted and looked away. "No."

She shrugged, to his surprise. "Okay. Well, if you need to talk about it, let me know." she said, turning to clean up after them.

"Why did you dye your hair?" he asked suddenly. For some reason, he wanted to stay in here with her.

She raised her eyebrows at the question. "Because I wanted to. It's something I wanted to do since I was a teenager, and I just kind of woke up one day and realized that there was nothing stopping me."

"It wasn't that way the last time I saw you." he said gruffly.

She chuckled. "A year is a pretty long time, Dean. A lot can change in a year."

He felt his face curving into a smirk when she used his first name again. "Yeah, I guess so."

She suddenly looked down and was untying her apron. "Okay, well, I'm going to go do some research, see if we can get a head start on getting this demon. Let me know if you need me," she said as she hurried into the library.

Dean watched her go, feeling confused. "Screw this," he muttered, and made his way back outside to work on his Baby.

 **A/N: Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural, or the characters (heartbroken).**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	2. Trust Me I'm an Expert

"Jesus, Winchester, why didn't you guys call me?" Piper huffed out at Dean's back.

She was sitting on the same sedan she'd been sitting on a few days earlier, watching Dean put the finishing touches on the Impala. She was also trying to not watch the way his muscles moved underneath his shirt, or the way that shirt would ride up a little when he leaned forward and exposed that strip of dark, toned flesh above the waist of his jeans…

Dean shrugged, breaking her out of her reverie. "I don't know, Pipes, it never occurred to me. We were… Busy."

Piper was taken aback. "Busy? You were too busy to let me know that Sam's having visions? Too busy to let me know that you almost died?" She slid off of the hood she was sitting on to stand up, crossing her arms and starting to get mad. Dean turned around to look at her with his eyebrows raised. "You called me when you needed help with that werewolf case. And when you were working that salt and burn in Indiana. So you can pick up a phone when you want someone around, but not when something is actually going on?"

Dean was getting angry. He put the wrench he was using down and stood up. "Why would I call you, Piper?" She watched his face work as he started getting as angry as she was. "You haven't been around for over a year! Why would I have thought you would pick up?" he growled at her, stepping forward.

Piper refused to be intimidated, and stepped forward toward him. "When have you ever called me and I didn't come, Winchester? I have always been here for you guys! I have never said no to you!"

Dean stepped forward, rage coming off of him in waves, until their noses were almost touching. He glared down at her. "Piper, you've been avoiding me for a year! I haven't heard from you for months! If Sam didn't want to call you, I wasn't going to do it, because you wouldn't have answered!" he shouted at her.

Piper stopped, and felt her flushed face cool as she paled. She backed away a few steps, not dropping her gaze. "You… You think I wouldn't answer if you called and said you needed me?" She backed away a few more steps and turned her face away.

Dean sighed. "Piper…"

She shook her head and tried to smile brightly back at him. "It's fine, Dean. You're right, we aren't as close as we used to be." She swallowed, refusing to meet his eyes. "Hey, I'm going to go make lunch for everyone. You can come back to the house and I'll have it ready." She turned and walked away.

She knew that she wasn't close with Dean, and that they had drifted, and maybe she had been avoiding him. But being near him made her feel things, and she didn't want to destroy their friendship. _But will there be a friendship if I keep avoiding him?_

Piper sighed as she opened the front door to the house. No, there wouldn't be. Dean had been feeling the distance between them, and she needed to remedy it. Even if getting a little closer to him would be hard for her, Piper would have to suck it up. Dean was just as important to her as Sam was, and she wouldn't let her feelings get in the way of the friendship she wanted to have with the Winchesters.

She sighed and squared her shoulders, the decision was made. She started moving around the kitchen, getting stuff together for sandwiches.

 **xxxxx**

Dean watched Piper retreat to the house, her shoulders tense and hunched. Smooth, Winchester, very smooth. He sighed again and turned back to Baby, picking up his wrench again.

He knew that Piper would have come if he called. He didn't know what his problem was. Piper was family, too, and he knew that. He was just frustrated that she had pulled away from him, unsure of what he had done. He tried to run through the last hunt they'd been on together, the last time he'd seen her...

 _Dean and Piper ran back to Baby, she was holding her left arm to her side. They dove in and he sped away._

 _"Shit, Piper, are you okay? I'm so sorry, this is my fau-" he started, looking at her with concern._

 _She shot him a tight smile as she pulled her hand away from her arm. He could see the blood smeared on her fingers. "It's fine, Dean, watch the road. Just get us back to the motel, I can patch it up when we get there," she said, pressing her hand back into her arm._

 _He sped all the way there, and slammed the Impala into park before jumping out of his side and ran around to open her door. She smiled her thanks at him and headed to the door. He got them into the room and sat her down on one of the beds. "Take your jacket off, I'll take a look at it."_

 _She slipped her jacket off, hissing between her teeth as she pulled her left sleeve off and assessed the damage. "Honestly, Dean, it should be fine, I can just take a shower-"_

 _Dean came over and helped her pull her sleeve off completely. He examined the deep cut in her arm, frowning. "Piper, that's going to need stitches."_

 _She frowned back at him. "Dean, I think it's-"_

 _"Fine, yeah, I got that. Just shut up so I can stitch you up, okay?" He looked at her pleadingly._

 _She seemed to fight an internal battle, then nodded hesitantly._

 _After they were done, there were tears standing in her eyes, and she was biting down on the sleeve of her jacket. Dean was wracked with guilt, he had been so focused on stitching her wound that he hadn't noticed the pain she was in. He winced in sympathy. "Okay, Pipes, I need to try to disinfectant it again, this is going to hurt, okay?"_

 _She nodded and kept her eyes on the motel door, biting down on her sleeve again. Dean got the whiskey and poured it over her wound. She whimpered and shut her eyes as a tear rolled down her cheek. Once he put the whiskey bottle down, Dean wasn't sure what to do, so he did the first thing that came to mind. He sat next to her and pulled her into his arms, being gentle with her wounded arm. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his lips against her head, closing his eyes. "I'm so sorry, Pipes, this was my fault," he whispered to her._

 _She gave a shuddering sigh and leaned into him. "Dean, it was not. I didn't realize he was so close. You saved my bacon, Dean, so don't forget it," she sighed at him as she snuggled closer._

 _They had been running on fumes for days, the vengeful spirit had a high body count and it was getting more frenzied by the time they understood what was happening. They had gotten in and started the salt and burn before realizing there were two spirits, and the second one had slashed Piper's arm open before they knew what hit them. Dean had salted and burned the bodies, and they had gotten the hell out of there._

 _He held her tighter, guilt hurricaning through him. "Pipes, I should-"_

 _"Dean!" she stopped him, laughing as she pulled away to look at him. "Dean, it happens. We have a dangerous job, and you know it as well as anyone else." Her hazel eyes searched his, urging him to hear what she was saying. He was mesmerized. "Dean, you have to stop this. You're a hero , Winchester. Everyone knows it but you." She smiled gently at him. "I see it every day, so trust me. I'm an expert."_

 _Dean was floored. He had been called many things, but never a hero. He looked at Piper, really looked at her, looking at her auburn hair spilling over her shoulder, her wide hazel eyes looking at him with dawning surprise, her soft lips opened a little._

 _His gaze didn't leave her lips for a moment, and then flicked back up to her eyes. Dean felt like something important was happening, and he memorized her face, so he wouldn't forget any of it._

 _Before he could lean forward, Piper had jumped out of his lap, tearing herself from his arms. "Thanks for patching me up, Winchester, I really appreciate it. I'm going to pop an Aspirin or six and take a bath. Thanks!" She grabbed her bag and retreated to the bathroom._

Dean shook his head, clearing his mind of memories. If something had happened, he could have understood, but she had left before anything had. They had gone back to normal the next day, but she had pulled away after that. And now that he thought about it, it was when she stopped saying his first name.

 _This isn't helping,_ he thought sullenly, putting his stuff away. He started back to the house, determined to not let it be awkward.

He opened the front door to Piper and Sam laughing in the kitchen. He smiled at the sound, it was nice to hear them both being lighthearted. Her eyes met his and she quickly looked away, handing him a plate with a sandwich on it. "Here's lunch! I'm going to go take one to Bobby," she said brightly, and walked out of the kitchen with another plate.

Dean watched her go with a frown as he picked up his sandwich and sat down next to Sam at the table. "Does she seem weird to you?" he asked, pointing to the door.

Sam shrugged. "No, no more than usual. Hey, how's the car?"

Dean looked back at him, glad to be back on a subject where he had solid footing. "Good, she's almost done."

"Good, because I think we have a case. Some mutilated cattle, and in the last few days, two beheaded bodies."

Dean grinned. "Sounds like our kind of thing."

"What does?" Piper asked as she reentered the kitchen.

"I think we found a case, and the Impala is almost done." Sam told her.

She brightened. "Great! Do you think we can leave today?" She directed the question at Dean.

He nodded. "Yes, Sam and I can leave today. You are staying here."

Her eyes squinted down to dangerous slits. "Look, Winchester, I'm going, and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. So shut it and get ready." She pushed her chair back and stormed out of the kitchen.

Dean huffed as Sam looked at him quizzically. "Dude. What's your problem? You know she can hold her own."

"Look, Sam, it's going to be dangerous, and she should stay here to be safe." Dean muttered, still glaring at the doorway that Piper had left through.

"Jesus, Dean, how caveman can you get?" Sam scoffed, standing up. "Piper is an adult, you know that she can do everything we can do. Handle whatever issue you have, because I want her with us." Sam left to get his stuff ready for the hunt.

Dean looked around the now empty kitchen that had been happy before he walked in. "What the hell just happened?"

 **xxxxx**

An hour later, Piper had decided again to leave the awkwardness behind her. Seeing Dean so happy made her heart lift, even as she clutched the seat to avoid the inevitable death that would come as a result of his driving. "So, Sam, what other details do we have about the case?"

"A few mutilated cows, and a couple of beheaded bodies, and not much else. We'll have to visit the morgue when we get there."

Dean grinned. "How far, Sammy?"

"Uh, about another three hundred miles."

Dean smirked. "Good."

 **xxxxx**

Piper was still giggling when they got to the hospital, poking fun at the boys about the terrible attempted interview that they had conducted with the sheriff. Sam laughed and elbowed her side as they walked up to the desk, at which sat an intern with a name tag reading, "J. Manners."

Dean took charge. "John."

The intern glanced up. "Jeff."

Dean chuckled. "Jeff. I know that. Dr. Dworkin needs to see you in his office right away."

Jeff paused. "But Dr. Dworkin's on vacation."

Dean raised his eyebrows. "Well, he's back." Jeff's face paled. "And he's pissed, and he's screaming for you, man, so if I were you I would-" Dean whistled.

Jeff ran out of the room. Dean looked at Sam as they made their way into the morgue. "Okay. Hey, those satanists in Florida, they marked their victims, didn't they?"

"Yeah, reversed pentacle on the forehead," Sam replied.

Dean sighed. "Yeah. So much f'd up crap happens in Florida."

Sam and Piper chuckled. She handed the boys latex gloves as Sam opened the drawer and pulled the body out. There was a box between it's legs.

Dean looked at Sam. "All right, open it." Piper grinned.

Sam scoffed. "You open it."

Piper laughed. "Wusses."

The boys glared at her as Dean carried the box over to another table. He flipped the lid off, grimacing. Sam and Piper moved closer, wincing.

Dean sighed. "Well, no pentagram."

"Poor thing." Piper said sadly.

"Maybe we should, uh, you know, look in her mouth, see if those wackos stuffed anything down her throat." He grinned and elbowed Sam. "You know, kinda like the moth in Silence of the Lambs."

Sam pushed the box toward Dean. "Yeah, here, go ahead."

Dean shook his head and pushed the box back. "No, you go ahead."

Sam looked at Dean. "What?"

Dean grinned. "Put the lotion in the basket."

Piper rolled her eyes and pushed them both out of the way, trying to keep contact with Dean short. _At least I'm wearing gloves._ "Like I said, you're both wusses."

Piper steeled herself and pushed her fingers into the head's mouth. She paled. "Dean, would you please get me a bucket?"

Instead, he leaned forward. "You find something?"

Piper shook her head and winced. "No, I'm going to puke."

Dean looked back into the bucket. "Wait, lift the lip up again?"

"Dean, do you want us to throw up? Is that it?" Sam snapped, looking a little green himself.

Dean glanced at him. "No, no, no, I think I saw something." He lifted the lip with his own finger. "What is that, is that a hole?" He pressed down the gum and a narrow tooth descended.

Piper's eyebrows went up. "It's a tooth."

Dean looked at her. "Pipes, that's a fang. Retractable set of vampire fangs. You gotta be kidding me.

Sam looked at both of them. "Well, this changes things."

Piper was pulling her gloves off as Dean put the lid back on the bucket. "Ya think?"

 **xxxxx**

A few hours later, and changed out of the white coats they had worn, the three of them walked into a bar. Dean led the way to the bar to talk to the bartender.

While the boys talked to the bartender, Piper stood between them with her backs to them. She scanned the room. A man in the corner caught her eye briefly, although she didn't let her gaze rest on him. She heard Dean say, "Thanks," as he turned back around to her. She brushed his hand with hers, ignoring the electricity that shot up her arm. When he looked down at her, she smiled flirtatiously and stood up to whisper in his ear. "There's a guy near the door watching us, black guy, by himself."

Dean nodded and smiled back at her. She tried to suppress the heat that spread in her belly at the sight. "Let's go, babe," he said as he slung his arm around her shoulders. "Let's go, Sammy."

As soon as they left, Dean took his arm off of Piper's shoulders and pushed her in front of him as they went down the alley right next to the bar. The moment the man was in sight, clearly having followed them, Sam and Dean shoved him up against a wall.

"Smile." Dean snarled.

The man looked confused. "What?"

Dean shoved him harder against the wall. "Show us those pearly whites."

The man rolled his eyes. "Oh, for the love of... You want to stick that thing someplace else? I'm not a vampire." Sam glared at him. "Yeah, that's right. I heard you guys in there."

"What do you know about vampires?" Sam asked suspiciously.

The man renewed his baleful stare. "How to kill them. Now seriously, bro. That knife's making me itch."

Dean cocked his head. As the man started to pull away, Sam shoved him again into the wall.

"Woah, easy there, Chachi," the man said soothingly. Piper felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise. The man pulled his hand and pulled his lip back, revealing his very human gums. "See? Fangless. Happy?"

The boys stepped back, Sam stepping back to stand next to Piper as Dean snarled again. "Who the hell are you?"

 **xxxxx**

 **A/N: Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural, or the characters (heartbroken).**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	3. Oh, Jesus I am in Trouble

Piper and the boys walked back to the Impala after essentially being told to forget the case. Piper was less than pleased.

"The nerve of that guy! You're the _Winchesters!_ As if he gets to tell you what to hunt," she huffed as she climbed into the backseat.

Dean chuckled. "Pipes, you're more irritated than I am."

"Can it, Winchester." she grumbled.

Sam smiled, and then let it fade. "Seriously, though, Dean. I think that guy was overestimating himself." Sam turned back to the windshield. "We should follow him."

Piper nodded, and Dean caught it in the rear view mirror.

He shook his head. "No, Piper. If we're going to follow him, then you're staying at the motel."

She sat up and glared at him through the mirror. "What? No way, Winchester! You're not leaving me there while you guys go out and-"

Dean slammed on the brakes and whipped around. "Piper, you're not going. We have no idea what we're walking into, we have no idea what he's like, and we're not risking it."

Sam turned back and looked at her. "Piper, come on. We're just trying to-"

"Would both of you please stop treating me like I'm made of glass?" She snapped at them, cutting Sam off. She glared at both of them, but primarily at Dean. "I am not sixteen anymore. I'm a hunter. I've been hunting on my own for years. _Years._ I have gotten myself into trouble and I have found my way out and back to you. So shut your damn mouths, I'm going with you."

Sam looked chastened and nodded to agree, but Dean was still glaring at her. "Piper, I-"

"Winchester, there is not an argument to be had here." She said, crossing her arms. She met his eyes. "I'm coming."

Dean huffed, turned around, and hit the gas.

 **xxxxx**

"Oh, come one, man, it's not like it was human. You've gotta have a little more fun with your job."

"See? That's what I've been trying to tell him. You could learn a thing or two from this guy." Dean chuckled and raised his beer.

Piper stayed silent. She was uncomfortable. After they had saved Gordon from a rapidly deteriorating situation, he had invited them back to the bar. Her eyes never left Dean as he and Gordon bonded over the job.

She didn't hate the job, but she didn't like it, either. She did it because she felt a duty to help people. If you knew what was out there, you protected others. It was pretty black and white for Piper.

But Gordon seemed to thrive on the dark, brutal parts of the job. Piper had met a few hunters like him, and they had always unsettled her. They were here to save people, not kill things. Hunters who lost sight of that tended down dark paths. She was worried to hear Dean agreeing with him, and she knew Sam was, too.

Sam stared at Gordon with an unreadable expression on his face. "Yeah I bet I could. Look, I'm not gonna bring you guys down. I'm just gonna go back to the motel. Piper?" he looked at her. She nodded, not wanting to be around this part of Dean.

"You sure?" Dean asked, looking between the both of them with narrowed eyes. Piper stood without meeting his eyes and gathered her coat and her bag. "Let's go, Sam," she said quietly.

He nodded and put his hand at the small of her back to lead her out, catching the keys that Dean threw at him. When they got to the car, she met his eyes. "Sam, I'm worried."

He nodded again. "I know, me, too. Let's go back to the motel."

 **xxxxx**

Dean and Gordon were sitting in the motel, looking over the research he, Piper, and Sam had done.

"This is the best pattern I can establish. It's sketchy at best." Gordon pointed to the map they were looking at.

"Looks like it's all coming from this side of town. Which means the nest would be around here someplace, right?"

Gordon nodded. "Yep, that's what I'm thinking. Problem is, there's thirty-five, forty farms out there. I've searched about half of them already, but nothing yet. They're covering their tracks real good."

Dean sat back. "Well, I guess we'll just have to search the other half." He looked down at his watch. "What time is it? Where are Sam and Piper?"

Gordon shrugged. "Car's parked outside. Probably went for a walk. Seem like the take-a-walk types."

"Yeah, they are, but…"

At that moment, Sam walked in with Piper under his arm. She had her arm wrapped around his waist, and looked pale. Dean frowned.

"Where you been?" he asked, standing up to look them over.

They just looked at him. "Can we talk to you alone?" Sam asked.

Dean turned to Gordon. "You mind chillin' out for a couple minutes?"

Gordon nodded, and the three of them walked out to the Impala. Piper leaned against the hood of the car, arms still wrapped around herself. Sam rubbed his hand up and down her arm and murmured something Dean couldn't hear.

Dean frowned again. "What happened? Where were you guys?"

Sam sighed. "Dean, maybe we've got to rethink this hunt."

Dean's eyebrows rose. "What are you talking about? Where were you?"

"In the nest."

He felt his eyebrows go higher in surprise. "You found it?"

Piper replied. "They found us."

Dean looked over both of them closely. Neither of them looked hurt, although Piper did seem pale. "How'd you get out? How many'd you kill?"

Sam glared. "None."

Dean scoffed. "Well Sam, they didn't just let you go."

"That's exactly what they did, Dean." Piper spoke quietly.

Dean paused and tried to meet her gaze, but she wouldn't look up from her shoes. "All right, well, where is it?"

"We were blindfolded, I don't know." Sam said shortly.

Dean glared and threw his hands to his side. "Well, you've got to know something."

Sam shook his head. "We went over that bridge outside of town, but Dean, listen. Maybe we shouldn't go after them."

Dean stared. "Why not?"

Sam and Piper looked at each other, and then he looked back at Dean and she returned her gaze to the ground. "I don't think they're like other vampires. I don't think they're killing people."

Dean started to laugh, then let it fade when they didn't join him. "You're joking. Then how do they stay alive? Or undead, or whatever the hell they are."

Piper spoke. "The cattle mutilations. They said they live off of animal blood."

Dean scoffed. "And you believed them?"

Sam pushed off of the hood of the Impala and stood closer to Piper. Dean's eyes narrowed. "Look at me, Dean. They let me go without a scratch. They let Piper go, too. She's fine."

Dean felt a sarcastic smile spread across his face. "Wait, so you're saying... No, man, no way. I don't know why they let you go. I don't really care. We find 'em, we waste 'em. They kidnapped you and Piper!"

"Why?"

"What part of 'vampires' don't you understand, Sam? If it's supernatural, we kill it, end of story. That's our job. "

Piper frowned and met his gaze for the first time since they got back. "No, Winchester, that is not our job." She pushed off of the hood and approached him. "Our job is hunting evil. And if these things aren't killing people, they're not evil."

Dean glared down at her. "Of course they're killing people, that's what they do. They're all the same, Pipes. They're not human, okay? We have to exterminate every last one of them."

She shook her head. "No, I don't think so, all right? Not this time."

Dean turned to to Sam. Surely he would see the way it was. "Gordon's been on those vamps for a year, man, he knows."

Sam's face darkened. "Gordon?"

Dean felt his hackles raise. He stepped forward toward Sam. "Yes."

Sam scoffed. "You're taking his word for it?"

Dean glared. "That's right."

Piper tried to step between them. She put a hand on Sam's chest as he spoke. "Look, Ellen says he's bad news."

"You called Ellen?"

Sam nodded and tried to subtly put his arm in front of Piper. She ignored it, much to Dean's approval. What did Sam think was going to happen? "And I'm supposed to listen to her? We barely know her, Sam, no thanks, I'll go with Gordon."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Right, 'cause Gordon's such an old friend. You don't think I can see what this is?"

Piper did step back as Dean stepped up to Sam. "What are you talking about?"

"He's a substitute for Dad, isn't he? A poor one."

Piper sucked in a breath. _"Sam,_ stop it."

Dean smirked. "Yeah, shut up, Sam."

Sam ignored them both. "He's not even close, Dean. Not on his best day." Piper stepped between them again and turned her back to Dean. _"Sam!"_

"You know what? I'm not even going to talk about this."

Sam tried to push Piper out of the way as he advanced on Dean. "You know, you slap on this big fake smile but I can see right through it. Because I know how you feel, Dean. Dad's dead. And he left a hole, and it hurts so bad you can't take it, but you can't just fill up that hole with whoever you want to. It's an insult to his memory."

Dean put his hands up and backed away. "Okay." He went to turn away, then turned quickly and pushed Piper out of the way as he punched Sam in the face, hard.

"Oh, my God!" Piper gasped, pushing Dean out of the way and moving toward Sam.

Sam put his hands up, wiping the blood away from his nose. "I'm fine, Pipe." To Dean, "You hit me all you want. It won't change anything."

Dean looked at them both for a long moment. "I'm going to that nest. You don't want to tell me where it is, fine. I'll find it myself."

 **xxxxx**

A couple of hours later, the three of them pulled up to a remote farmhouse. Dean was irritated because Gordon had stolen the keys to Baby, and he had to hotwire her after he had gotten her back together. They traced Gordon back to this farmhouse. Piper was nervous. Gordon was an unknown, and she was worried that he was a loose cannon.

She got out of the Impala and headed toward the farmhouse before the boys could protest. To her surprise, neither of them said anything. They simply came to stand on either side of her. Dean took lead and opened the door.

They walked into what Piper thought was a dining room to see Lenore, the vampire who had taken them to the farmhouse and claimed she didn't hurt people, tied to a chair. She was covered in cuts and look very weak.

Gordon was dipping a knife into a jar of blood. When they entered, he looked around and smiled at them as he sliced a cut across Lenore's chest.

He smiled. "Sam, Dean, Piper. Come on in."

They walked further into the room. Dean put on a smile. "Hey, Gordon. What's going on?"

Gordon motioned to Lenore with the knife. "Just poisoning Lenore here with some dead man's blood. She's going to tell us where all her little friends are, aren't you? Wanna help?"

Dean started forward. "Look, man-"

"Grab a knife. I was just about to start in on the fingers." Gordon moved the knife across Lenore's arm. Piper watched, her stomach turning, as veins traced away from the cut. Lenore moaned.

Dean held up his hands and moved closer. "Woah, woah, woah, hey, let's all just chill out, huh?"

Gordon stopped and looked back at them. "I'm completely chill."

Sam came to stand next to Dean, putting Piper behind them. "Gordon, put the knife down."

Sam moved to step forward again, but Dean put an arm out to stop him.

Gordon looked coldly at them. "Sounds like it's Sam here needs to chill."

"Just step away from her, all right?" Sam said, warily eyeing the knife in Gordon's hand.

Gordon smiled. "You're right. I'm wasting my time here. This bitch will never talk. Might as well put her out of her misery." He pulled out a larger knife. "I just sharpened it, so it's completely humane."

He turned toward Lenore. Sam pushed past Dean and stepped toward the two of them. "Gordon, I'm letting her go."

Gordon put the knife to Sam's chest. Piper used the distraction to move behind Sam, closer to the vampire. She was hoping that while Gordon was focused elsewhere, she would be able to figure out a way to get Lenore out.

Gordon was gazing at Sam calmly. "You're not doing a damn thing."

Dean walked toward the trio with his hands up. "Hey, hey, hey, Gordon, let's talk about this."

Gordon didn't take his eyes off of Sam. "What's there to talk about? It's like I said, Dean. No shades of gray."

Dean nodded placatingly. "Yeah. I hear you. And I know how you feel."

"Do you?"

"That vampire that killed your sister deserved to die, but this one…"

Gordon laughed and his eyes flicked his eyes toward Dean. "Killed my sister? That filthy fang didn't kill my sister. It turned her. It made her one of them. So I hunted her down, and I killed her myself."

Piper was shocked. "You did what?" she asked.

Gordon looked at her. "It wasn't my sister anymore, it wasn't human. I didn't blink. And neither would you." Piper's eyes widened.

"So you knew all along, then? You knew about the vampires, you knew they weren't killing anyone. You knew about the cattle. And you just didn't care." Sam asked, disgusted.

Gordon looked at Sam. "Care about what? A nest of vampires suddenly acting nice? Taking a little time out from sucking innocent people? And we're supposed to buy that? Trust me. Doesn't change what they are. And I can prove it."

Gordon lunged forward and grabbed Piper's arm. She cried out as he dragged his knife across her arm. He put the knife against her throat and dragged her toward Lenore. Sam moved forward and Dean drew his gun.

"Gordon! Let her go now!" Dean shouted. Sam hovered, unsure of what to do.

Gordon raised an eyebrow at them both, flicking his gaze between the brothers. "Relax. If I wanted to kill her she'd already be on the floor. Just making a little point."

He held Piper's arm over Lenore so the blood was dripping on her face. Piper hissed as he squeezed her arm to quicken the blood flow.

Dean started forward again. "Hey, hey!"

Sam snarled and put his hand on Piper's other arm. Beneath, Lenore started to hiss, her fangs extending.

Gordon looked at them triumphantly. "You think she's so different? Still want to save her? Look at her. They're all the same. Evil, bloodthirsty."

Lenore seemed to regain control of herself, retracing her fangs. She turned her face away. "No. No."

Piper glared at him, yanking her arm away. "You hear her, Gordon?"

Lenore started to struggle more. "No! No!"

Piper pushed Gordon's knife away from her throat and took a step back. She ran into Sam's firm chest, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "We're done here," he growled.

"Sammy, get them out of here." Dean said to him. Sam nodded and went forward to take Lenore into his arms. Piper turned to walk out, stopping when she was next to Dean. "Be careful," she whispered, looking back at Gordon as Sam passed with Lenore. She walked out with him.

They walked out together. Piper held onto her arm with her other hand, looking at Sam. "Sam, we have to get them out. All of them."

Sam nodded, watching Lenore slowly come back to consciousness. "Let's do it."

 **xxxxx**

A while later, Dean walked down the farmhouse steps to find Sam wrapping Piper's arm in gauze. Dean watched as she smiled up at Sam, and his brother smiled back. He sighed and came down the steps.

Piper must have heard him, because she turned and smiled at him. He hid his surprise as much as he could and smirked back at her. "How's the arm, Pipes?"

She shrugged. "I'm going to make it." She smiled as Sam finished bandaging her arm.

Sam chuckled. "Yeah, you are."

Dean sighed, then stepped up to Sam and braced himself. "All righty, Sammy. Clock me one."

Piper laughed and Sam's eyebrows rose. "What?"

Dean beckoned Sam forward with his fingers. "Come on. I won't even hit you back. Let's go."

Sam joined Piper in laughter. "No."

Dean closed his eyes and beckoned again. "Let's go, you get a freebie. Hit me, come on."

Piper was leaning against the Impala trying to catch her breathe. Sam was laughing, too. "You look like you just went twelve rounds with a block of cement, Dean. I'll take a raincheck."

Dean sighed and stood back up, glaring at Piper. "Shut it, Finley," which sent her into another gale of laughter. It was nice to see her laughing like this. She hadn't done it in front of him for a while, and it surprised him how much he didn't like that.

He speared his fingers through his hair. "I wish we never took this job. It's jacked everything up."

Piper stopped laughing, wiping tears from her eyes. "What do you mean?"

Dean looked at both of them. "Think about all the hunts we went on. What if we killed things that didn't deserve killing? You know? I mean, the way Dad raised us... "

Sam shook his head. "Dean, after what happened to Mom, Dad did the best he could."

Dean nodded. "I know he did. But the man wasn't perfect. And the way he raised us, to hate those things... And man, I hate 'em. I do. When I killed that vampire at the mill I didn't even think about it. Hell, I even enjoyed it."

Piper spoke quietly. "You didn't kill Lenore."

"No, but every instinct told me to. I was gonna kill her. I was gonna kill 'em all."

Piper shook her head. "Yeah, but you didn't. And that's what matters."

Dean eyed both of them. "Yeah. Well, 'cause you're both a pain in my ass."

Sam chuckled. "Guess we might have to stick around to be a pain in the ass, then."

Piper smiled at Dean before sliding into the backseat. He slid into the driver's seat, feeling warmer than he had in days.

 **xxxxx**

A day later, Piper was getting out of the Impala at Bobby's. Sam wanted to go see his mother's grave, and she felt like it should be a trip for just the two of them, so they were dropping her off.

"Hey, I'm gonna go say hi to Bobby and grab a few things, then we'll head out, okay?" Sam jumped out of the car and went into the house.

Piper heard Dean sigh and get out on his side. She put her bag on Baby's trunk and looked over at him. "Okay there, Winchester?"

He looked surprised, but then responded, "Yeah, yeah. I don't get this thing that Sammy's got going on with looking at Mom's grave, but whatever."

She walked over to lean next to him on the car. "Well, it's good of you to take him anyway." She smiled, trying to concentrate through the heat she felt radiating off of him at this close proximity.

She was trying to put her money where her mouth was. It didn't matter that Dean had a face made for looking at, or a mouth made for kissing. It didn't matter that his eyes made her dizzy and his shoulders could make her forget her name. Dean was her friend. She was going to be there for him.

He was more physical than Sam, words didn't mean as much to Dean. So she scooted closer and laid her head on his shoulder.

She felt him look down in surprise, but didn't look up. _One step at a time,_ she thought to herself. Instead, she said, "Listen, I'm sorry about the argument we had. You're right, we've drifted apart, and I miss you." She kept her eyes closed and her heart thundered in her ears.

Dean shifted and moved her head away from his shoulder so he could put his arm across her shoulders and pull her into him. She breathed in his scent of gunpowder and leather, and let herself be pulled.

"Hey, no chick-flick moments." He said quietly. He thought, then spoke again. "Pipes, it's not just your fault. I felt guilty about our last hunt, and I didn't want you to get hurt again."

She pulled away to look at him with a smile on her face. "Winchester, is that your version of an apology?" she asked, laughing.

He grinned and ruffled her hair. "Close as you're gonna get, kitten."

Sam came back out of the door. "Dean, are you almost ready to go?"

They both stood up, separating. "Yeah, let's go, Sammy." Dean smiled at her and wrapped his hand around the back of her head. Her eyes widened and her heart stopped as he pulled her close to press his lips against her forehead. "Be careful, Pipes."

Piper watched them leave, feeling his kiss burning on her face. "Oh, Jesus, I am in trouble."

 **xxxxx**

 **A/N: Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural, or the characters (heartbroken).**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	4. Does Anyone Have a Vicodin?

_Rockin' Nebraska. Your source for the classics, all night long._

"I don't know, man, why don't we just chill out, think about this." Dean asked, his eyes flicking back to Sam.

Sam leaned forward to shut off the radio. "What's there to think about?"

Piper looked out the window, letting the boys' words fade into the background. She was nervous. They had told her about Sam's visions, but this had been the first time she had witnessed one, and it had scared her. She'd never seen them both look so spooked.

Now they were on their way to the Roadhouse to talk to Ellen and her friend, Ash, about where Sam's latest vision would take place. Dean was expressing concern that other hunters would overhear any conversation they had. Piper listened back in while she pulled her violet hair into a French braid to give her hands something to do.

"Plus it could have some connection with the demon. My visions always do."

"That's my point. There's gonna be hunters there. I don't know if, if, if going in and announcing that you're some supernatural freak with a, a demonic connection is the best thing, okay?"

Piper winced at Dean's choice of words as she tied the end of her braid off.

Sam frowned and turned to Dean. "So I'm a freak now?"

Dean smiled weakly and slapped Sam on the thigh. "You've always been a freak."

 **xxxxx**

When they pulled up to Harvelle Roadhouse, Piper was delighted. It looked like a dive, but was pretty obviously clean and well taken care if. Dean walked ahead of she and Sam, so she touched Sam's hand and asked quietly, "How are you holding up, Sam?"

He gave her a tight smile. "I'm fine, just ready to get this over with." he said quietly.

She nodded and smiled gently at him. "Whatever it is, we'll handle it, Sam." She assured him as they walked in.

The first thing she saw was Dean talking to a pretty blonde woman. Piper tried to keep the scowl off of her face. _Not like you've been a nun, Piper_ , she reminded herself as she and Sam approached.

"Jo, where's Ash?"

The blonde stopped and looked at Sam and Piper, her eyes lingering on Piper. "In his room." Piper gave her a brief smile. "Sorry, we're on a timetable. I'm Piper!" she said as she hurried to keep up with Sam.

When they walked into the back, Piper grinned at the sign on the door that claimed "Dr. Badass" was in. Sam knocked.

"Ash? Hey, Ash?" he called through the door. Dean, having followed them back, knocked, too. "Hey, Dr. Badass?"

The door opened a crack. A skinny, pale man who was sporting a mullet looked out through them, naked as the day he was born. Sam and Dean looked away, and Piper kept her eyes on his face.

"Sam? Dean? Sam and Dean. And _who_ is _this?"_ He asked cheerfully as he spotted Piper, changing his stance. Piper grinned again. "Hi. I'm Piper."

He smiled at her. "Yes, yes you are."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Hey Ash. Um. We need your help."

Ash winked at Piper. "Well, hell then. Guess I need my pants."

As he shut the door, Dean looked at Piper with raised eyebrows. She was chuckling. "Be nice, Winchester. It takes a confident man to show interest in a woman standing between you two. I like him." She said cheerfully as she turned to walk back into the bar.

She slid into a chair set at a table with a laptop set up on it. A few minutes later, Ash joined her. "Hey, pretty lady."

She smiled at him as Sam sat across the table from them and Dean wandered over to the bar. "Ash, this is the logo I... Found." He finished lamely. "Can you find what bus company uses it?"

Ash was too busy looking at Piper. Without looking back, he pulled the drawing toward himself. "I can do that in my sleep, Sam."

Piper felt laughter bubbling up in her chest. "That's pretty impressive talk, Ash."

He grinned. "I can walk the walk just as easy, pretty lady." He hunched over his computer, and did a personality 180. His back straightened and his keys flew over the keyboard.

Piper was reflecting how ridiculous her life had become in the past three weeks, when Ash made a sound of triumph. "Well, I got a match. It's the logo from the Blue Ridge bus lines in Guthrie, Oklahoma."

Sam leaned forward. "Okay. Do me a favor. Check Guthrie for any demonic signs, or omens, or anything like that."

Ash's eyebrows rose. "You think the demon's there?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, maybe."

Ash examined Sam's face, then turned to look at Piper. "Why would you think that?"

Dean, who had walked up to stand behind Piper, snapped, "Just check it, all right?"

Ash shot Dean a look, and Piper looked up to frown at him. "Be nice," she mouthed up at him.

Ash looked back toward his computer. "No, sir, nothing. No demon."

"All right, try something else for me," Sam said. "Search Guthrie for a house fire. It would be 1983, fire's origin would be a baby's nursery, night of the kid's six month birthday."

Dean looked around to see if someone was listening in, while Ash looked shocked. "Okay, now that is just weird, man. Why the hell would I be looking for that?"

Sam pulled out a beer bottle and set it next to the laptop. "'Cause there's a PBR in it for you."

Ash shrugged and wiggled his eyebrows at Piper. "Give me fifteen minutes."

 **xxxxx**

Piper was still sitting next to Ash, watching him work, letting her mind wander and worry.

She was shaken out of her musings when REO Speedwagon started playing through the bar. She smiled. "Oh, REO, how long has it been?" she muttered softly.

Ash looked up at her. "Any time away from REO is too long, pretty lady." She grinned at him, which he returned as he shouted, "Winchesters! Got something!"

 **xxxxx**

An hour later, the three of them were back in the Impala. Sam was looking over the paperwork Ash had given him. Dean was humming. He couldn't get that damn song out of his head. He flicked his eyes to the rear view mirror, watching Piper look out the window. Her hair had started falling down from whatever she had put it in, and it lay against her face. He didn't know what he thought of her new hair color, but the way it shone in the periodic light of the streetlamps they passed was distracting as hell.

Distracting enough that he didn't see Sam staring at him. "You're kidding, right? 'Can't Fight This Feeling?'"

"Hey, it's a classic. REO." Piper objected, leaning forward to rest her arms against the back of the front seat, and to rest her head on her hands.

Dean glanced at Sam. "I heard the song somewhere, I can't get it out of my head, I don't know, man. Whaddya got?"

Dean saw Sam and Piper share a glance, then Sam started rifling through the papers in his lap again. "Andrew Gallagher. Born in eighty three, like me. Lost his mother in a nursery fire exactly six months later, also like me."

Piper tilted her head to look at Sam. "You think the demon killed his mom?"

"Sure looks like it."

It was quiet for a moment, then, "How did you even know to look for this guy?" Dean asked.

Sam glanced at Piper. "Every premonition I've had, if they're not about the demon they're about the other kids the demon visited. Like Max Miller, remember him?"

Dean saw Piper tilt her head to look at him. "Yeah, but Max Miller was a pasty little psycho."

"The point is he was killing people. And I was having the same type of visions about him. And now it could be happening all over again with this Gallagher guy."

Piper tilted back to Sam. "Well, how do we find him?"

Sam looked through his papers again. "Don't know. No current address, no current employment.

He still owes money on all his bills. Phone, credit, utilities…"

"Any collection agency flags?" Piper asked.

Sam shook his head. "None in the system."

"They just let him take a walk?" Dean asked incredulously.

Sam shrugged. "Seems like it. There's a work address from his last W-2, about a year ago. Let's start there."

 **xxxxx**

"I'm sorry, I'm starting to like this guy." Dean chuckled as they looked across the street.

They were sitting in the Impala looking across the street at an obnoxiously painted van. A barbarian queen was riding a polar bear on it. Rock music poured out onto the street from the open window.

A woman in a coffee shop had told them where to find Andy, and had also told them that they were going to have some trouble getting anything out of him.

Piper crossed her arms and looked around the street, looking for someone who might be Andy. She was on edge and jumpy. She hated this situation.

She looked back at the boys to see Sam looking at Dean quizzically.

"What's wrong?" Dean asked.

Sam looked away. "Nothing."

Dean and Piper shared a look. "Sam, you look like you're sucking on a lemon, what's going on?" Dean asked again.

Sam sighed. "This Andrew Gallagher, he's the second guy like this we've found, Dean. Demon came to them when they were kids, now they're killing people."

"We don't know what Andrew Gallagher is, all right? He could be innocent."

Sam leveled Dean with a look. "My visions haven't been wrong yet."

"What's your point?"

Sam sighed again. "My point is, I'm one of them."

Piper frowned. "No, you're not."

Sam looked at both of them. "Guys, the demon said he had plans for me and children like me."

Dean flung his arms out wide. "Yeah?"

"Yeah, maybe this is his plan, maybe we're all a bunch of psychic freaks, maybe we're all supposed to be-"

Piper scoffed. "What, killers?"

Sam swallowed hard. "Yeah."

"So the demon wants you out there killing with your minds, is that it?" Dean threw his hands up. "Come on, give me a break. You're not a murderer, Sam! You don't have it in your bones."

"No? Last I checked, I kill all kinds of things."

"Those things were asking for it. There's a difference."

"Guys," Piper interrupted. "Got him."

The man they were looking for was wearing pajamas and a robe. He waved up to an extremely busty woman who was blowing kisses at him from a third story window. He began to walk down the street toward them. He spoke with someone he passed on the street, who smiled and handed Andy his coffee.

Sam pointed to a different man walking on the opposite sidewalk. "Look. There's the shooter."

Piper nodded. "Sam, stay with him, Dean and I will follow Andy."

Sam nodded and walked away, following the shooter at a reasonable distance. Dean and Piper got back into the Impala and followed Andy, who had driven off.

A few minutes later, Andy pulled his van over. Dean pulled the Impala over a few spaces behind it. "Winchester?" Piper asked nervously.

Andy walked up to the driver's side window. "Hey."

"Hey hey." Dean responded cheerfully.

Andy examined Baby. "This is a cherry ride."

Dean grinned, and Piper bit back a groan. "Yeah, thanks."

"Man, the '67? Impala's best year if you ask me. This is a serious classic."

Dean was practically preening. Piper could have strangled him. "Yeah. You know, I just rebuilt her, too."

Andy smiled. "Yeah? And who is this lovely lady?" He turned his smile onto Piper.

She felt herself smile back cheerfully. _What the hell?_ "Hi! I'm Piper!"

Andy smiled. "Hi Piper." He leaned back to look at Baby again. "You know, this is a pretty great car. Hey, can you give it to me?" He made eye contact with Dean, and then with Piper

"Sure, man." Dean smiled and got out of the car. Piper smiled and did the same on the other side, walking around to stand next to Dean.

Andy climbed in. "Sweet. Take it easy. And give your girl a kiss for me," He winked at Piper. She giggled.

"All right." Dean wrapped an arm around Piper's waist, and she smiled into his eyes as he leaned closer. Something was happening to her, her heart stopped and her breath quickened, but in her head a voice was screaming. _No, no, no!_ Her mind screamed at her, even as she lifted herself onto her toes to meet him halfway.

When Dean's lips touched hers, however, all thought stopped. Piper felt like the universe was holding it's breath, and it wasn't just the part of her being controlled that wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed close to him. He put his hands on her hips and pressed into her and let his tongue run gently along her bottom lip. Piper had gone from a normal, functioning woman to a being that was controlled completely by sensory input.

It ended abruptly when Dean lifted his head away from hers and looked to where Andy was driving away. He stepped away from her and she stumbled, looking in the same direction, her fingers coming to gently touch her lips. She felt the start of a blush coming on. "What the hell?" she asked softly.

 **xxxxx**

They were walking back to the last place they'd seen Sam when he called Dean. "Dean! Andy's got the Impala!"

Dean groaned. "I know! He just sorta asked me for it and I, I let him take it."

"You what?"

"He full-on Obi-Wanned me. It's mind control, man!"

"Well, is Piper with you? Is she okay?"

Dean snuck a look at Piper. He'd been trying not to make eye contact with her since they'd kissed. "Yeah, she's here." And it looked like she was avoiding him, too.

Sam abruptly ended the call. "Sam?" Dean looked at his phone. "Piper, something's wrong. Come on." He reached to her and placed his hand on the small of her back.

A few minutes later, they came upon Sam, looking shocked, and paramedics running around. Piper jogged over to where Sam was sitting on the curb, sitting next to him with a hand on his back. "Sam? What happened?"

Dean followed and crouched behind them, looking around. It looked like the good doctor had stepped in front of a bus. "I kept him out of the gun store," Sam said. Dean watched Piper's face pinch in sympathy. "I thought he was okay. I thought he was past it, at least... I should have stayed with him."

Dean met Piper's eyes, hating the helplessness he felt and that he saw in her eyes. He stood. "Let's go find Andy."

 **xxxxx**

A few minutes later, they found Baby parked. Dean rushed to her. "Thank god! Oh. I'm sorry, baby. I'll never leave you again." Piper rolled her eyes. "Well, at least he left the keys in it."

"Yeah. Real Samaritan, this guy." Sam scoffed.

Piper thought for a moment. "Well, it looks like he can't use his powers just by twitching his nose, he has to use verbal commands. "

Sam looked at her. "The doctor had just gotten off his cell phone when he stepped in front of that bus. Andy must have called him or something."

Dean was still cooing over the Impala. "I don't know, maybe."

Sam's eyebrows went up. "Beg your pardon?"

Dean shrugged. "I just don't know if he's our guy, Sam."

Sam was flabbergasted. "Dean, you had O.J. convicted before he got out of his white Bronco and you have doubts about this?"

"He just doesn't seem like the stone-cold killer type, that's all. You know."

"And O.J. was guilty." Piper added.

Sam shook his head. "Either way, how are we going to track this guy down?"

Dean chuckled. "Not a problem."

 **xxxxx**

Later, they were sitting in the Impala, watching Andy's van. Dean was eating, Sam was staring into space, and Piper was using the moment of quiet to try to sort through her emotions.

No such luck. "Ugh." Dean groaned. "You know, I miss sitting down and eating something I didn't

have to microwave at a minimart."

"Preach." Piper said fervently.

Sam ignored them both. "What I don't get is the motive. I mean, the doctor was squeaky clean, why would Andy waste him?"

Dean shifted uncomfortably. "If it is Andy." Piper, sensing an oncoming fight, opened her mouth to try to diffuse.

Sam got there first. "Dude, enough."

"What?"

Sam glared at Dean. "The doctor was mind-controlled in front of a bus. Andy just happens to have the power of mind control. You do the math."

Dean shook his head. "I just don't think the guy's got it in him, that's all."

"Sam, I kind of agree…" Piper said quietly.

"Well, how the hell would you know?" Sam snapped. "I mean, why are you guys bending over backwards defending him?"

"'Cause you're not right about this."

Suddenly, Andy slammed his hands down on Sam's side of the car, looking in through the open window. Piper jumped and squeaked.

"Hey! You think I haven't seen you three? Why are you following me?" The last sentence reverberated in Piper's head. She looked at Dean, who also looked dazed.

Sam responded calmly. "Well, we're lawyers. See, a relative of yours has passed aw-"

"Tell the truth!" Andy shouted. Piper winced and put a hand to her head. That had hurt.

Sam tried again. "That's what I'm-"

Dean spoke up. "We hunt demons."

Andy stared. "What?"

Sam turned to his brother. "Dean!"

Dean ignored Sam to look at Andy. "Demons and spirits. Things your worst nightmares wouldn't even touch. Sam here, he's my brother. And this is Piper in the backseat. She's our best friend, probably our only friend, but I think she and I might be-"

Sam hit him. "Dean, shut up!"

Dean looked panicked. "I'm trying. He's psychic. Kind of like you. Well, not really like you, but see, he thinks you're a murderer, and he's afraid that he's going to become one himself, 'cause you're all part of something that's terrible. And, I hope to hell that he's wrong, but I'm starting to get a little scared that he might be right." He had a tight, worried smile on his face. Piper reached out and put a hand on his shoulder.

Andy shook his head. "Okay, you know what? Just leave me alone." The last sentence echoed again, and Piper shut her eyes.

Dean nodded, relieved. "Okay."

"All right?" Andy walked away.

Dean winced and held his head in his hands. Piper squeezed his shoulder in sympathy, watching as Sam got out of the car and started to follow Andy.

Andy saw him, too. "What are you doing? Look, I, I said leave me alone. All right? Get out of here, just start driving and never stop."

Sam held his arms out wide as he circled Andy. "Doesn't seem to work on me, Andy."

Andy blanched. "What?"

"You can make people do things, can't you? You can tell them what to think."

Dean and Piper got out of the car and started forward. Sam held his hand up to keep them away. Dean put his hand out and moved Piper behind him. It normally would have pissed her off, but she was afraid of Andy, so she stayed, staring over Dean's shoulder.

Andy was defending himself. "Look, tha-" he chuckled. "That's crazy."

Sam kept on it. "It all started about a year ago, didn't it? After you turned twenty-two. Little stuff at first, and then you got better at controlling it."

Andy started to sound scared. "How do you know all this?"

"Because the same thing happened to me, Andy. My mom died in a fire, too. I have abilities too. You see, we're connected, you and me."

"You know what? Just, just, just, just get out of here, all right?!"

"Why did you tell the doctor to walk in front of a bus?" Sam shouted.

Andy stared again. "What?"

Sam looked like he was having trouble concentrating. Piper squeezed Dean's arm. "Look…"

Sam squinted at Andy. "Why did you kill him?"

"I didn't!"

Sam was silent, cringing. He cried out and put his hands to his head. Dean and Piper ran to him, Dean catching him and lowering him to the ground before he could fall.

Piper fretted, moving his hands so she could look at his face. "Sam? What is it?"

Andy was nervous, standing behind them. "Look, I didn't do anything to him."

Sam muttered, "A woman. A woman burning alive."

Dean nodded. "What else'd you get?"

"A gas station, a woman is gonna kill herself."

Andy was starting to panic. "What does he mean, going to? What is he, what is-"

Piper glared at him. "You're going to want to shut the hell up, Andy," she snapped, turning back to Sam.

Sam was looking at Dean. "She gets triggered by a call on her cell."

"When?"

Sam shook his head and tried to stand. Piper helped him. "I don't know. But as long as we keep our eyes on this son of a bitch, he can't hurt her."

Andy cried out, "I didn't hurt anybody!"

Sam gave him an even look. "Yeah, not yet."

The four of them turned to watch a fire engine roared past, siren blaring.

Sam looked at Dean. "Go."

Dean ran to the Impala, and Andy tried to step past Sam. Sam put a hand on his chest. "No, not you. You're staying here with me." He swung his arm around to keep Piper behind him, which she let happen again. Seriously, Andy was freaking her the hell out.

 **xxxxx**

Later, Piper and Sam were sitting across from Andy at a picnic table. Dean had called, letting them know that the woman was dead before he got there. The men were talking about their powers.

Andy was trying to grasp the concept. "So you get these premonitions of people about to die?"

Sam nodded. "But that's impossible." Piper laughed. "A lot of people would say the same thing about what you do."

"But... death visions." Andy looked back at Sam.

"Yeah."

Andy shook his head. "Dude, that sucks. I mean, like, when I got my mind thing? It was like a gift, you know, it was, it was like I won the Lotto."

Piper tilted her head to look at him. "But you still live in a van. I don't get it, I mean, you could have anything you ever wanted."

Andy shrugged. "I mean, I, I got everything I need." Piper smiled at him, which he returned.

Sam looked at him. "So you're really not a killer, huh?"

Andy laughed. "That's what I've been trying to tell you!"

"That's good. Means there's hope for both of us," Sam said. Piper put her hand on his and squeezed, hoping to convey comfort.

They stood as Dean pulled up in the Impala. He got out and walked toward them. "Victim's name was Holly Beckett, forty-one, single. "

Sam looked at Andy. "Who is she?"

Andy shrugged. "Never heard of her."

"Called Ash on the way over here," Dean continued as he met them. "He came up with a little something. Apparently Holly Beckett gave birth when she was eighteen years old, back in 1983. Same day you were born, Andy."

Piper turned to the man in pajamas. "Andy, were you adopted?"

Andy nodded. "Well, yeah."

Dean glared. "You were? And you neglected to mention that?"

"Never really came up. I mean, I, I never knew my birth parents, and, and like you said my adopted mom died when I was a baby. Do you, do you think this Holly woman could actually be my m-"

Dean sighed. "I don't know. I tried to get a copy of the birth records, but they're hard copy only, sealed in the county office."

"Well, screw that."

 **xxxxx**

They were going through files while Andy spoke to the security guard. Piper had tuned them out, but she did look up to see Andy waving a hand at the guard's retreating back. "These are not the 'droids you're looking for."

Dean was grinning. "Awesome." Piper smiled and elbowed him in the side.

"I got it," Sam said from the other side of the room.

Dean and Piper stopped and looked up at him. "Yeah?" Dean said.

Sam nodded. "Yeah. Andy, it's true. Holly Beckett was your birth mother."

Andy sat down. "Huh. Does anyone have a Vicodin?"

"Dr. Jennings was her doctor, too, I mean, he oversaw the adoption. You have a solid connection to both of them."

Andy swung his head to look at them. "Yeah, but I, I didn't kill them."

Piper came to stand next to him. She put her hand on his shoulder. "We believe you."

The Winchesters nodded.

Dean cleared his throat. "But uh, who did?"

Sam held the file up. "I think I got a pretty good guess. Holly Beckett gave birth to twins."

 **xxxxx**

 **A/N: Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural, or the characters (heartbroken).**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me**

 ****I know, I tweaked Andy's powers a little to fit my own needs. My bad, y'all.**


	5. Better Break Out the Whiskey

Later, Andy was sitting with his head in his hands, in shock. Sam was pacing with a folder in his hands. Dean stood near a printer, and Piper stood next to him, watching Sam pace, worried.

"I have an evil twin."

"Holly put you and your brother up for adoption. And you went to the Gallagher family, obviously, and your brother went to the Weems family from upstate." Sam said.

Piper went to stand next to Andy's chair. "Andy, how are you doing? Still with us?"

Andy nodded. "Um. What was my brother's name?"

"Here." Sam looked at the folder in is hand. "Um, Ansen Weems. And he's got a local address."

Andy looked up at him. "He... He lives here?"

"Let's get a look at him. Got his picture coming off from the DMV right now." Dean pulled papers out of the printer, then looked at them, surprised. "Hate to kick you while you're freaked. Take a look at that."

Andy looked up after looking at the picture for a long moment, horrified.

 **xxxxx**

Andy was in the backseat of the Impala, telling what he knew about Weber, the man who worked at the coffee shop and was Andy's twin, when Sam cried out.

"Sam? Sam! Sam!" Dean shouted as Sam struggled with the door. Dean pulled the car over.

Sam shoved the door open and leaned out. Piper was out of her side and touching Sam's face when Dean got around to grab his shoulders. "Sam? Sam?"

Dean shook him a little. "Hey. Hey!"

 **xxxxx**

They were standing in front of the Impala's trunk, getting ready, when Sam said, "Piper, Dean, you should stay back."

"No argument here," Dean said. "Had my head screwed with enough for one day." Piper nodded in agreement.

Sam was pulling out two guns when Andy got out of the car. "I'm coming with you."

Sam shook his head. "Andy, no."

Andy didn't budge. "If it's Tracy out there... Then I'm coming."

 **xxxxx**

They crept up on Weber's car, Sam with a gun at the ready. Piper was far away, crouching

behind a bush, closer to Dean, who was up on a hill with a sniper rifle.

Sam ran up and shattered the driver's side window and pointed a gun at Weber's face. "Get out of the car! Now!"

Weber looked at him. "You really don't want to do this." His voice echoed in Piper's head, and she felt herself wanting to stand and reveal herself. She fought for several moments to stay crouched. _What the hell? He's stronger than Andy_ , she realized, horrified. She watched as Sam backhanded Weber and Andy pulled Tracy out of the car.

Sam pulled Weber out of the car. He had him pinned, and Andy came over and put a strip of duct tape over Weber's mouth. Then Andy reared back and kicked him, twice.

Before she knew what was happening, Piper stood and walked calmly to the commotion. She started walking toward the ledge. She knew that she could fly, why hadn't she done it before? There was a voice screaming in her head, _No, no no! God dammit, no!_ But the voice seemed unimportant, so she continued and climbed up on the ledge.

Sam was shouting. "Andy! Listen to me! Listen to me!"

Piper heard a thump, and didn't hear Sam anymore. She was still fighting hard with herself, trying to get herself to get off of the ledge. _Okay, what will bring me back to myself? My parents. Bobby. Cooking in Bobby's kitchen. For Sam and Dean. Dean…_ Nothing was working. She couldn't even let out a frustrated noise.

She had tuned out what was going on around her. The next thing she heard was Weber saying, "Back off, Andy. Or Tracy's gonna do a little flying."

Piper sensed another presence on the ledge with her. She smiled. Maybe she could fly, too!

 _No, she can't! And neither can you! You're going to die if you don't get off of this damn ledge!_

She heard Weber say, "I'm stronger than you. I can do it."

Then, Andy. "Okay, okay. Okay. All right, just... Just please don't hurt her."

Weber's voice, then, pleading. "Don't be mad at me, okay? I know, it's, it's all wrong. I didn't mean for this to happen, it's just... Tracy? She's trying to come between us."

"You're insane."

Weber started to get mad. "She's garbage! Man, they all are! We can, we can push them, we can make them do whatever we want!"

"Are you really... Are you really this stupid? Is it-"

"Wha-"

"I mean, you, you learn you've got a twin…" Piper heard Sam start to come to. Part of her didn't care, and part of her rejoiced fiercely. "You call him up, you go out for a drink, you don't start killing people!"

"I've wanted to tell you for so long, bro. But he didn't let me. He said I had to wait until the time was…"

Andy was confused. "Who?"

"The man with the yellow eyes." Piper felt part of her still, wanting to absorb every word.

"What are you talking about?"

"He came to me. In my dream. He said I was special. He told me he's got big plans for me. Wait 'till you see what's in store, Andy, for both of us! See, he's the one who told me that... I had a brother. A twin."

Piper tuned them out again to start fighting with herself again. She was starting to panic. She couldn't move.

Then she heard, "I see you. Bye bye." The voice echoed in her head. He knew where Dean was. _No!_ She cried in her head, panic and fear gripping her. She let out a whimper.

Piper heard a gunshot, and screamed, tumbling backward off the ledge. She turned to see Andy pointing a gun at the fallen Weber, and let out a sigh of relief before sliding to her knees and leaning back against the ledge and let the tears start to come.

 **xxxxx**

Rescue and police vehicles were scattered across the road. One was tending to Sam's injured shoulder. Dean stood next to him, and Piper stood next to him. She looked dead on her feet, and Dean was worried.

They watched Andy speak with an officer, convincing him that he had seen Weber shoot himself. "Look at him. He's getting better at it."

Andy approached Sam and Dean, and stood looking at Tracy, who was avoiding his gaze.

He sounded pained. "She won't even look at me."

Sam nodded. "Yeah, she's pretty shaken up. "

"No, it's, this is different. It's, uh, I never, I never used my mind thing on her before. Before last night. She's scared of me now."

"Andy." They looked at Piper, who was starting to sway. "Andy, it's a pretty scary sensation. It's terrifying, honestly. Give her some time, she might come around."

Dean was watching Piper and managed to slip an arm around her waist before she started to fall. She made what sounded like a grateful noise and buried her head in his shoulder, her arm coming around to his waist. Dean turned back to the conversation Sam and Andy were having, letting her lean into him.

Andy was asking, "What am I supposed to do now?"

"Be good, Andy." Dean said quietly. "Or we'll be back."

He turned with Piper, her feet shuffling next to his. She was in shock, he realized. Just because nothing had happened, didn't mean she wasn't freaking out.

Dean couldn't describe the emotions that had gone through him when that woman had knocked Sam out, and then he looked up to realize Piper was on the ledge, waiting to jump. Fear wasn't the right word, it didn't have enough. Terror was closer. When he hadn't know what Sam's condition was, and saw Piper about to jump, something close to terror had torn it's way through his heart.

Dean stopped, bent down, and scooped his arms under her knees, cradling her to his chest. She made a noise of protest but leaned her head against his shoulder and sighed. "Sorry," she mumbled into his chest.

Dean smiled. "Don't be, kitten."

He walked with Sam to the Impala, taking her and putting her in the backseat. She lay still, already mostly asleep. Dean sighed and shrugged off his coat, laying it over her gently.

Sam was watching him. "What?" Dean asked defensively, getting into the driver's seat.

"You know, I heard you before, Dean, when Andy made you tell the truth. What you said about Piper… And what you said about me. You're just as scared of this as I am."

Dean shook his head. "That was mind control! I mean, it's like, like, that's like being roofied, man, that doesn't count. No, I'm calling a do-over."

Sam scoffed. "What are you, seven?"

"Doesn't matter. Look, we've just gotta keep doing what we're doing, find that evil son of a bitch and kill it."

Dean's phone rang. He looked at the caller ID, gave Sam a look, and answered. "Hello? Ellen. What's going on? Yeah, we'll be right there."

 **xxxxx**

Sam and Dean were sitting at the bar. Ellen was behind it, Jo was walking around the outside. Piper sat next to Dean, trying to stay focused. She pulled Dean's coat around her tighter.

"Jo?" Ellen called.

"Hmm?"

"Go pull up another case of beer."

Jo protested. "Mom…"

"Now, please." They watched her walk away, then Ellen turned back to them.

"So. You, uh, you want to tell me about this last hunt of yours?"

Dean shook his head. "No. Not really. No offense, it's just kind of a family thing."

Ellen dropped a stack of papers on the bar. "Not anymore. I got this stuff from Ash. Andrew Gallagher's house burnt down on his six month birthday, just like your house. You think it was the demon both times, don't you? You think it went after Gallagher's family?"

Sam thought, then nodded. "Yeah, we think so."

"Sam…" Dean warned.

Piper put her hand on Dean's arm, and he turned to her. She met his eyes and tried to keep with it. "Look, Ellen has a right to know. Maybe she can find a way to warn others about what's coming, whenever we find out what it is." He opened his mouth to protest. "We're not the only hunters around, Winchester."

Dean stared at her for another moment, then nodded to Sam. Piper breathed a sigh of relief and lay her head on Dean's shoulder. He shifted to give her better access.

Sam turned back to Ellen. "There are people out there, like Andy Gallagher, like me. And um... We all have some kind of ability."

"Ability?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah. Psychic ability. Me, I have, um, I have visions. Premonitions. I don't know, it's, it's different for everybody. The demon said he had plans for people like us."

"What kind of plans?"

Sam shrugged "We don't really know for sure."

"These people out there, these psychics... They dangerous?"

Dean shook his head. "No, not all of them."

"But some are. Some are very dangerous." Sam replied.

Ellen seemed to gather herself. "Okay, how many of them are we looking at?"

"We've been able to track a clear pattern so far. They've all had house fires on the night of the kid's six month birthday." Piper replied, her eyes closed, her head not leaving Dean's shoulder.

"That's not true." Sam objected. "Weber, or whatever his name was, I looked at his file. There was no house fire. Nothing out of the ordinary."

Ellen sighed. "Which breaks pattern. So if there's any others like him, there'd be nothing in the system. No way to track 'em all down."

"And so who knows how many of 'em are really out there?" Dean said slowly.

"Jo, honey?" Ellen called.

"Yeah?"

"You'd better break out the whiskey instead."

 **xxxxx**

They bunked at Ellen's that night. There were three cots set up in the same room. Ellen had pursed her lips, but Dean insisted that he wanted to make sure Piper didn't go further into shock, so she relented.

Now, they lay in the dark side-by-side. Dean was on his back, watching Piper doze on and off, and listening to Sam's steady breathing next to him. His eyes were starting to get heavy when Piper startled awake.

She lay breathing heavily for a few minutes before starting to calm down. She sighed and put a hand to her chest, then put it back down to her side. Dean slowly moved his hand to grasp hers, his fingers intertwining hers.

She seemed very still, but didn't pull away. Then she squeezed his hand and closed her eyes, her breathing becoming unsteady again.

"You scared me, kitten." Dean said softly, looking up at the ceiling.

"I scared me, too." She said softly.

"Well, it's okay now."

"Is it?" He turned to look at her in surprise to find her already gazing at him. "I… Look, I want to be here with you guys. I want to be in this fight. But I don't want to put you guys in danger. If he had had to, he would have used me to control Sam." Her tears started to fall. "I don't want to be the reason you guys fail." She paused, and then continued. "And I'm so scared for Sam. And for you. What's going to happen? What are we up against? Can we beat it?"

Dean wasn't sure what to say to comfort her. They could all be used against each other, but it didn't mean they weren't going to be there. He and Sam both needed her here, she had already become essential. And Dean had confidence that the three of them, along with Bobby, could face whatever came at them.

He didn't say any of those things. What he did instead was let go of her hand and pull her cot closer to his. When it was close enough, he sat up and pulled her over to him, then scooted and lay with her back pressed against his chest. He wrapped his blanket around her, even though she was already wrapped in hers, and put his arm around her. "It's going to be okay, Pipes, you'll see. We'll get through this, together." he whispered to her.

 **xxxxx**

Piper almost believed him.

 **xxxxx**

 **A/N: Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural, or the characters (heartbroken).**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	6. You Have a Choice to Make

Dean woke up early, like he always did. Before he opened his eyes, he took stock of what he could feel, and let the memories of where he was sink in. They were at The Roadhouse, and he was lying on his back on a cot. What he couldn't remember was the warm, soft form that was pressed against him, her head on his shoulder and her arm casually laying low on his abdomen.

 _Piper._

He had pulled Piper onto his cot to comfort her, and they had fallen asleep. She was close against him, warm. As he thought it, she sighed and nestled her head into his chest, still asleep.

Dean couldn't remember the last time he'd slept, just slept, in a bed with a woman. Unwillingly, he found himself thinking of the kiss Andy had coerced them into sharing. Her soft lips, the breathy sigh she'd let go when they finally made contact, all of her curves pressed into him…

Dean realized that he was about to have a problem. As slowly and gently as possible, he extracted himself from her and stood. A frown appeared on her face, but she curled into a ball and stayed asleep. He sighed, relieved. That would have been awkward.

He stood, looking at her for a moment. The way her messy purple hair framed her face, which was swollen from sleep. The way her hand was stretched to the end of the cot, as if searching for him. The blanket that rode low on her waist, making him realize that she was just in a T-shirt and panties.

"Shit," he muttered to himself, and walked out of the room to find a cold shower, a beer, and Sammy.

 **xxxxx**

Piper came awake slowly, wondering why she felt like something was missing. When she remembered the events of the day before, her eyes flew open and she shot up. "Oh, my God…" she whispered, eyes widening in shock.

 _Yesterday, I kissed Dean Winchester... And last night, I slept with him._

She wasn't sure how to process what she was feeling, so she broke it down.

The kiss. _Okay, that happened because Andy told us to do it._ But it had still been good. _Doesn't matter. Andy told us to do it, that's why we did it._ Besides, any kiss with Dean Winchester was going to be good, the man was a walking poster child for dirty thoughts. _Okay, the kiss didn't matter._

Sleeping with him. _Just sleeping_ , she corrected. That had been amazing. For someone who was so closed off, Dean was a hell of a cuddler. _He did it to comfort you, because you were being a baby._ Right. Strictly for comfort.

So… Neither of those things meant anything. They were unlikely to run into someone who could control minds any time soon, and she was going to work on keeping her emotions beneath the surface. She had cried more times in the past three weeks than she had in the last three years, and she didn't know what was wrong with herself. Piper took a deep breath through her nose, and huffed it out through her mouth. She tried on a smile, and found that it came pretty naturally.

She felt better, she assured herself.

And she ignored the little part of her that was sad beyond belief as she stood up to find pants and a toothbrush.

 **xxxxx**

After the breakfast Ellen and Piper had made, Piper went for a walk.

She really just walked around the parking lot a few times, but it helped her think. The case with Andy and his evil twin had brought home the fact that hunting with the Winchesters wasn't like hunting on her own. Sure, she was in danger regularly, but she had never been in "a psychic guy is trying to kill you" trouble.

Was she willing to die for the Winchesters? Yes, she was. That wasn't what she was fighting with herself about. She would die for them, but was that insane? Did it matter?

She had paused, looking toward the horizon, still pondering the question, when she heard gravel crunch behind her.

He was hesitant. "Everything okay, Pipes?"

She nodded, not turning around. "Yeah, Winchester. Just letting it all sink in."

Dean came and stood next to her. "Letting what sink in?"

She shrugged. "The whole crazy situation. I've only been here for three weeks, and I haven't had a chance to process. Hell, I haven't even dealt with your dad dying, much less anything else that happened."

Dean snorted. "Join the club, kitten."

Piper laughed. "I don't know, it's just so crazy right now." She glanced at him. "I might go back home for a few days, try to get my head on straight."

He was quiet. "We probably shouldn't have dragged you into this mess."

She rolled her eyes. "Can it, Winchester."

He shook his head. "I'm serious, Piper. You'd be safer if you stayed at Bobby's."

Piper rounded on Dean, and started poking him in the chest. "God _dammit_ , Dean! How many times do we have to go through this? I am not 'staying' at Bobby's. I am not going to sit on the sidelines while you and Sam figure this out alone. I am with you guys, always. I am on your side." She huffed and crossed her arms. "So you need to get used to me being around, got it?"

Dean had backed up a little from the vehemence in her words. He blinked, then smiled slowly and raised his hands in surrender. "All right, Finley, all right. Just trying to watch out for you."

She glared. "Stop it."

He laughed and held out his arm. "Well, if you're done 'taking a walk,' let's go back in."

She was still irritated, but that smile did things to her thought processes. She took his arm and they started back in.

 **xxxxx**

Dean was watching Piper laugh as they walked through the door. Her head was tilted back and her sparkling eyes met is. _Damn, she's pretty._

They were interrupted by Ellen shouting, "I am your mother, I don't have to be reasonable!"

"You can't keep me here!" Jo shouted back.

Ellen scoffed. "Oh, don't you bet on that, sweetie."

Jo shrieked in frustration. "What are you going to do, are you going to chain me up in the basement?"

Ellen smiled coldly. "You know what, you've had worse ideas than that recently." She started shouting again. "Hey, you don't wanna stay, don't stay. Go back to school."

"I didn't belong there! I was a freak with a knife collection."

"Yeah, and getting yourself killed on some dusty back road, that's where you belong?!" She spotted Piper and Dean at the door. "Guys, bad time."

Dean nodded eagerly and started to turn around. "Yes, ma'am."

"Wait." Jo started toward them. "I wanna know what they think about this."

"I don't care what they think!"

The phone started to ring. Jo glared at it, then at her mother, as Ellen went to answer it. "Harvelle's. Yeah, Preacher."

Jo walked over to Dean and Piper with a file folder in her hand. "Three weeks ago a young girl disappears from a Philadelphia apartment." She shoved the folder at Dean. "Take it, it won't bite."

Dean looked nervously at Ellen. "No, but your mom might."

Piper rolled her eyes and elbowed Dean in the side. "Ow, damn it, Piper," he glared at her as she took the folder.

Jo started warming up to her subject. "And this girl wasn't the first. Over the past eighty years six women have vanished. All from the same building, all young blondes. Only happens every decade or two so cops never eyeball the pattern. So we're either dealing with one very old serial killer, or-"

"Who put this together, Jo?" Piper was flipping through the folder. Dean looked over her shoulder at an extremely well organized case file.

"I did it myself." Jo said proudly.

"This is very well-done, Jo." Piper said with a warm smile.

Sam had come up behind them, and was looking over Piper's other shoulder. He glanced at Dean. "I gotta admit. We've hit the road for a lot less."

Ellen had finished her call and came to join them. "Good. You like the case so much, you take it."

Jo whipped to face her. "Mom!"

Ellen looked at Jo dispassionately. "Joanna Beth, this family has lost enough. And I won't lose you too. I just won't." She turned to Sam, Dean and Piper. Dean fought with the urge to hide behind Piper. "Take the case and go ahead, kids."

Piper nodded and smacked Dean in the chest with the folder. "The boys will head there as soon as they take me home, Ellen."

 **xxxxx**

Bobby came out on the front porch to greet them. Dean heard Piper make an inarticulate noise, and she opened the door to Baby before it had stopped. "God dammit, Piper-" he started.

"Shut up, Dean." Sam said quietly.

Dean looked over to see Bobby holding Piper quietly, her shoulders shaking. Dean felt his stomach drop, and the familiar feeling of guilt settled on his shoulders.

"Sam, maybe we should-"

"Dean, stop." Sam interrupted quietly, eyes glued to Bobby leading Piper into the house. "She's going to be fine. She's pretty tough, she's just got to work some things out."

Dean watched as Sam got out and grabbed Piper's bag and put it by the front door. He came back and got in the car. "Let's go, Dean."

Dean stayed and looked at the front door for another moment, then put Baby in gear.

 **xxxxx**

Piper was sitting at the kitchen table at Bobby's house, her hands wrapped around a cup of lukewarm coffee. "I'm sorry, Bobby." She sniffed and wiped her eyes again. "You shouldn't have to listen to this."

Bobby handed her a box of tissues. "Shut it, idjit," he said affectionately. "I heard about your crush on Tom whatever his name was when you were eighteen and I'll hear about this now."

Piper shook her head. "This isn't about a crush, Bobby," she gestured to her tear-stained face. "I can handle it."

Bobby pointed at her. "You listen to me, Piper Jane. I have lived a long time. Long enough to know that you can't keep this stuff inside. So you tell me what is happening inside that pretty head of yours right now."

Piper was silent for a moment, and opened her mouth to speak. "Bobby, I think I would die for him without thinking twice. It scares me. It goes so far beyond a crush. What am I supposed to do?" she asked, tears gathering in her eyes, looking down at her mug.

Bobby sighed. "Piper, I didn't want this for you." She glanced up. "Loving a hunter isn't easy. Especially if you don't intend to tell him."

More tears. She nodded.

"Do you want him to know?" he asked gently.

Piper panicked. "No, no, absolutely not. Bobby, you can't tell him, oh, God-"

"Hush, idjit." Bobby said roughly. "I'm not telling anyone anything. I'm asking because now you have a choice to make." She looked up at him. "You can get okay with telling him, get okay with not telling him, or leave."

Piper was shocked. "I can't just leave them, Bobby. They need all the help they can get."

Bobby nodded. "All right. Then if you don't want him to know, then you need to get okay with… Feeling that… And him not knowing."

Piper thought for a second. "That… Is a lot simpler than I thought it would be, Bobby."

He huffed. "Of course it is. I'm too old to have lovestruck kids running around." He stood and circled to her, planting a kiss on top of her head. "Now let's get something to eat and hit the books."

 **xxxxx**

The next few days were peaceful for Piper. She trained in Bobby's yard until her fingers bled and sweat dripped into her eyes in the mornings. When she was so tired she could barely move, she showered, bandaged her hands, and slept. When she woke up in the afternoons, she made Bobby dinner and researched until they both dropped, usually right at the table.

She came to a realization during those days. She was probably in love with Dean. And it didn't matter. She felt a storm coming on, a war. In war, feelings couldn't come into play. She would be in love with Dean, be the there for he and Sam, and fight alongside her Winchesters.

A week later, Dean called while they were researching. "What's up, elder Winchester?"

Dean's voice was low and strained. "Hey, Pipes. How are things?"

She sat up. "What's wrong, Dean?"

"Nothing's wro-"

"Cut the crap, Winchester. I know you better than that. Tell me what's wrong or I will come kick your ass."

Dean sighed. "Dad was the reason Jo's dad died. He used him as bait, then left him for dead."

Piper closed her eyes. "Oh, God…"

"I just. You think you know a guy, huh?" Dean chuckled.

"Can it, Winchester. Listen to me very carefully. Are you listening?" Silence greeted her question.

"I swear to God, Winchester, I am getting my keys-"

"Shaddup, I'm listening." Dean grumbled.

Piper let a sigh of relief go away from the phone. "Listen here. You are _not your father._ You would never intentionally leave someone behind. Listen, Dean," she sighed. "Listen, I loved John. God knows I loved John. But he was not a great person. He was a phenomenal hunter, but to be that way, sometimes you have to be willing to risk other people's lives. You have never been like that."

A long silence ensued. Piper almost asked if he was there, when he finally responded. "I guess you're right."

She smiled. "Damn right. Hey, when are you guys coming home?"

"We're headed back now." He sounded like he was choosing his words carefully. "You think you're ready to get back out there?"

"Yes, I think I am."

 **xxxxx**

Dean opened the door to the Impala after parking it at Bobby's house. He sighed and leaned his head back as Sam got out of the car. The ride back had been quiet, with Piper's words and faith in him rolling around in his head.

He didn't get the chance to consider them more as a screech sounded through the yard and made him jump.

"Sammy!" Dean watched as Piper came running through the yard to throw herself at his brother.

Sam laughed and swing her around.

He opened the door and got out of the car. "What's with the enthusiasm, Pipes?"

She smiled as Sam put her down. "I missed you guys. I got used to hearing you two bicker all the time."

Dean rolled his eyes and turned around to close the door. Only the soft sounds of her sneakers warned him, and he whipped around to catch Piper as she flew at him. He caught her and held her close. He laughed and buried his face in her hair. "I think I actually missed you, kitten."

He felt her smile. "Missed you, too, Winchester."

 **xxxxx**

"Dammit, Sammy, be careful!"

Piper glared at Dean. "I am not a child, he can hit me as hard as he wants."

Piper turned back to Sam and put her fists up. "Again, Winchester."

Sam nodded and swung.

Dean groaned and went back into the house. Piper was training hard, insisting that one of them spar with her every morning. Her hands would break open, and she had a bruise over her left eye, but she wouldn't quit.

"If you're going to get in her way, don't watch." Bobby said calmly, coming to watch at the door.

"Why is she doing this, Bobby? She's good enough, I don't get it."

Bobby looked at him evenly. "She knows there's a battle coming. She wants to be ready."

Dean's heart clenched. "Bobby-"

Bobby held a hand up to stop him. "Stop right there, boy. If you try to keep her away from the battle, she will tear apart everything that stands in her way, and then she'll tear you apart, too."

Dean sighed, put his mug down, and muttered, "Well, I don't have to like it." He walked outside.

"Tap out, Sammy, I'm coming in."

 **xxxxx**

Piper winced as Sam bandaged her hands gently. "Sorry," he muttered, glancing up at her.

She put a strained smile on her face. "It's okay, I did it to myself," she chuckled.

He finished fastening the bandage and sat back. "There, done. Why are you doing this, Pipe?" He looked at her curiously.

She shrugged. "I need to pull my weight."

He frowned. "You do, Piper. You're just as good as Dean and I."

She shook her head. "Sam, it's not just that. Although you both being over six feet tall and huge does mean that I need to work harder to be just as good." She sighed and met his eyes. "Look, Sam, whatever is going on, it's not going to end peacefully. It's going to end in battle. I want to be an asset in that battle." She grinned. "And, you know, stress relief."

He smiled and pulled her forward with a hand on the back of her head to kiss her on the forehead. "You are an asset, Piper, and not just in battle."

He stood and left the bathroom. She sighed and followed him downstairs.

The smell of warm butter met her nose, quickly followed by cursing from the kitchen.

"Goddamn thing is defective!" she heard Bobby shout as she jogged to the kitchen.

She moved past Sam, who was laughing in the doorway. She found Bobby and Dean glaring at a pan which had what she could only assume was the attempt at a grilled cheese sandwich.

Laughter bubbled up in her and before she knew it, she and Sam were leaning on each other, laughing hysterically.

 **xxxxx**

Dean glared at both of them as Piper wiped tears from her eyes. "Shaddup, you two."

She walked over and stood between Bobby and Dean, beaming at them between chuckles.

"Here, let me show you."

Bobby excused himself, claiming that he was certain the stovetop was haunted. Dean, however, tried to pay close attention. He did what she asked, since her hands were bandaged, and listened to her as she explained that a lower heat was more effective.

"You know, so you don't burn the hell out of it," she said, still chuckling.

"Shut it, kitten, I'm working here," he said confidently. "Master Chef here, make way, woman."

She laughed out loud again, and Dean found himself thinking about being able to pull her close and claim her mouth with his, to try to capture that laughter somehow. He must have been staring, because she self-consciously, and a little breathlessly, asked, "What, Winchester? Do I have something on my face?"

Dean shook his head. "No, no, just thinking."

She tilted her head. "About what?"

He smiled, mentally shrugging his thoughts away. "How are your hands?"

"Oh." She looked down at them, and then presented her bandages for inspection. "Great! Sam bandaged them, and they hardly hurt. I should be good to go in a few days, and then we can hit the road."

His first instinct was to protest. She should rest, she should stay here, and be safe. Then his conversation with Bobby came to mind. She was going to fight if she wanted to, and if she was going to fight, then he wanted her with him. So instead, he just smiled. "Good."

 **xxxxx**

 **A/N: Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural, or the characters (heartbroken).**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	7. Did You Deserve It?

Dean was irritated. He hated it when law enforcement interfered with a case. And he hated being arrested even more than that.

He knew that Sam had gotten his message and was already gone, and hopefully had met up with Piper, but he still hated the waiting game. He was a man of action, dammit!

He watched as Detective Ballard came in. She seemed nervous, but he was just ticked off enough to not care. "Can we make this quick? I'm a little tired, it's been a long day, you know, with your partner assaulting me and all." He pointed to his face.

Ballard seemed to gather her nerve. "I want to know more about that stuff you were talking about earlier," she blurted.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Time Life. Mysteries of the Unknown. Look it up."

She glared at him "Let's pretend for the moment you're not entirely insane."

"Mmm."

Ballard maintained eye contact. "What would one of these things be doing here?"

Dean's eyebrows rose. "A vengeful spirit? Well, they're created by violent deaths. And then they come back for a reason, usually a nasty one. Like revenge on the people that hurt 'em."

She nodded slowly. "And uh, these, they're capable of killing people?" She rubbed her neck as she tried to absorb the information, and Dean saw the livid bruising on her wrist.

He pointed to it. "Where did you get that?"

She looked at him for a long moment, then pulled her sleeves up to present both wrists to him. "I don't know. It, it wasn't there before."

Dean studied her. "You've seen it, haven't you? The spirit?"

"How did you know?"

"Because Karen had the same bruises on her wrists. And I'm willing to bet that if you look at Giles' autopsy photos he's got 'em, too, it's got something to do with this spirit, I... I don't know what." He watched as she turned to the mirror to study her own reflection. "I know. You think you're going crazy. But let's skip that part, shall we? Because the last two people who saw this thing? Died, pretty soon after. You hear me?"

She didn't turn. "You think I'm going to die."

Dean shook his head. "You need to go to Sam. He'll help."

She did turn now, surprised. "You're giving your brother up."

Dean nodded. "Go to the first motel listed in the yellow pages. Look for Jim Rockford. It's how we find each other when we're separated. Now you can arrest him if you want. Or you can let him save your life."

 **xxxxx**

Piper was pacing in the motel room, registered under Jim Rockford, and waited for Sam to show up. She had no idea what was happening, and she was irritated. The first case she was back, the two idiots got themselves arrested, first thing. Sam had called from a gas station phone to let her know he was on his way.

There was a hesitant knock at the door. Piper whipped around, grabbed a gun, and held it down next to her thigh as she slowly opened the door, leaving the chain latched. A pretty, older blonde stood at the door, frowning.

"How can I help you?" Piper asked politely.

The woman searched her face. "I'm here for Sam."

Piper blinked, then looked closer at the woman. "Are you a cop?"

The woman nodded. "Detective Ballard."

"How did you find me?"

"I don't even know who you are."

"I know," Piper said dryly. "Humor me. How?"

"Dean said to look for the first motel in the phone book, and look for the name 'Jim Rockford.'"

Piper nodded, closed the door, and unlatched the chain. She then opened it wide and waved the woman in. "How are the guys?"

Ballard scoffed and looked around the room. "Too used to be interrogated, quite frankly."

Piper grinned, but did not relax the hold she had on her gun. "Yeah. It kind of comes with the territory."

The doorknob rattled. Piper pointed her weapon at it. "Detective, get behind me," she said quietly.

She opened the door without opening the chain. She saw Sam peeking through and sighed in relief. "About time, Winchester," she said cheerfully as she opened the door.

Sam saw the detective. "Piper?" he asked.

"Dean sent her. She's seen the spirit."

Ballard showed Sam her wrists. "These showed up after you saw it?" He asked.

Ballard nodded. "Yeah, I guess."

"All right. You're going to have to tell me exactly what you saw."

Ballard shook her head. "You know, I must be losing my mind. You're a fugitive. I should be arresting you."

Piper tensed, but Sam just shrugged. "All right. Well, you know what? You can arrest me later, all right? After you live through this. But right now you've gotta talk to me. Okay?" Ballard nodded.

"Okay, great. Now, this spirit. What did it look like?"

Ballard swallowed. "She was, um, really pale, and her throat was cut, and her eyes, they were like, this deep dark red? It appeared like she was trying to talk to me. But she couldn't. It was just... A lot of blood."

Piper lead them over to a table that was covered in crime scene photos. "You know what? Here. I've been researching every girl that's ever died or gone missing from Ashland Street."

The detective frowned. "How'd you get those? Those are from crime scenes, and booking photos."

Piper smiled. "You have your job, I have mine. Here. I need you to look through these, tell me if you recognize anyone."

She flipped through a couple of photos, settling on the third. "This is her. I'm sure of it."

Sam examined the information. "Claire Becker? Twenty eight years old, disappeared about eight or nine months ago."

"But I don't even know her. I mean, why would she come after me?"

Sam looked at the paper again. "Well, before her death, she was arrested twice. For dealing heroin. You ever work narcotics?"

Ballard nodded. "Yeah, Pete and I did. Before Homicide."

"You ever bust her?"

"Not that I remember."

Piper was grabbing her coat and duffel. "It says that she was last seen entering 2911 Ashland Street. Police searched the place, didn't find anything. Guess we gotta check it out ourselves. See if we can find her body."

The detective eyes widened. "What?"

Sam smiled. "Well, we gotta salt and burn her bones. It's the only way to put her spirit to rest."

Ballard sighed. "Of course it is."

 **xxxxx**

They entered the building quietly, Ballard pursing her lips as Sam unlocked the door.

"So what exactly are we looking for?" she asked.

"I'll let you know when we find it." Sam replied.

Piper took an iron pipe out of her bag, then another and handed it to Sam. She looked at the detective, giving her a third. "Spirits are weak to iron. If you see her, start swinging."

The detective swallowed nervously, but accepted the pipe.

They split up. Sam went up a flight of stairs, while Piper and Ballard went down to the lower level.

They were in a basement. Piper was looking around, turning to examine a shelf stacked with dry goods.

Ballard gasped. "Piper?"

Piper turned to see a young woman with red eyes in a white dress moving toward Ballard. She moved in between them and swung, the spirit disappearing as soon as the iron touched her.

"Sam!"

Sam ran down the stairs. "Hey! Hey, I'm here, what is it? What happened?"

Ballard eyes were wide as saucers. "Claire…"

Sam looked around. "Where?"

She pointed. "She, she was here."

Piper had gone back to looking around, still on high alert. "Sam, she didn't attack her. She was just, like, reaching out." She looked back at him. "I don't think she's vengeful spirit. Here, help me move this."

Sam moved to help her move a shelving unit that was placed in front of the window. Once it had been moved, it revealed the lettering on the outside: ASHLAND SUPPLIES.

Ballard looked spooked. "Our little mystery word."

They turned to see a shadow on the opposite wall, casting the words into clear shadow.

Sam nodded. "Now the extra letters make sense."

Sam pulled out his EMF reader and moved it along the wall opposite of the window.

"What is that?"

Piper answered. "Spirits and certain remains give off electromagnetic frequencies. So if Claire's body was here, that should indicate that."

Sam nodded without looking at them. "Yeah. Well, that's the theory."

The reader started whining as Sam moved it over the brick wall. He put it in his back pocket. He then went to his bag and pulled out a sledgehammer and started breaking through the crumbling wall.

Piper stood next to him, and once he had a decent hole, she shone her flashlight inside.

He nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, there's definitely something in there." He started pulling bricks and plaster away with hands and elbows.

Piper took his cue and helped. "You know? This is bothering me."

"Well, you are digging up a corpse." Ballard pointed out helpfully.

Piper shook her head. "No, not that."

Sam chuckled as he started to break a sweat. "That's, uh, that's pretty par for the course, actually."

Ballard sighed. "Then what?"

Sam and Piper were almost done. "No vengeful spirit I've ever dealt with wanted to be wasted, so why the hell would Claire lead us to her remains?"

Together, Sam and Piper pulled out a shroud-wrapped body and placed it on the ground. Sam pulled a knife out of his pocket and started cutting the ropes holding the shroud.

Ballard held out her wrists.

Sam nodded. "Her wrists. Yeah, they'd be bruised just like yours."

Sam pulled the shroud open to reveal the desiccated corpse of a woman whose wrists were bound.

The detective's breath caught, and she leaned forward to touch a necklace the corpse was wearing.

Piper looked at her. "That necklace mean something to you?"

She nodded, and reached into her shirt. "I've seen it before. It's rare. It was custom made over on Carson street." She pulled out a necklace identical to the one on the dead woman's neck. "I have one just like it. Pete gave it to me."

Piper frowned. "Who is Pete?" she asked gently.

"My partner."

Piper snapped her fingers. "Death omen."

Ballard looked at her. "Excuse me?"

Sam looked impressed, and nodded. "Claire's not killing anyone. She's trying to warn them. You see, sometimes spirits, they don't want vengeance, they want justice. Which is why she led us here in the first place. She wants us to know who her killer is."

The hair on the back of Piper's neck stood up. "Detective, how much do you know about your partner?"

 **xxxxx**

Piper was tense, trying not to give in to panic, as she listened to Detective Ballard finish her phone call.

"All right. Thanks."

Sam was also tense. "What is it?"

"Pete just left the precinct. With Dean."

Piper's stomach dropped. "What?"

Ballard met their eyes. "He said the prisoner had to be transferred, and he just took him. Dispatch has been calling but he won't answer the radio."

"Radio? He took a county vehicle?"

Ballard nodded.

Piper sat up, a plan forming in her mind. "Well, then they should have a lo-jack, you've just gotta get it turned on."

 **xxxxx**

Dean was in the back of an armored vehicle, trying figure out how he was going to get out of the situation he was in, when he felt the car slow.

"Pee break? So soon? You might want to get your prostate checked." The detective who had taken him got out and walked around to the back. "Son of a bitch," he muttered, then the door opened. "Hey, I'm cool in the van, you go do what you gotta do."

Sheridan hauled Dean out of the van and threw him to the ground. "You're a cocky son of a bitch. You think those people in St. Louis are gonna buy that crap you're peddling? Here's the thing. You're not gonna make it to St. Louis. You're gonna die trying to escape."

He drew his service pistol and pointed it at Dean.

Dean felt the blood drain from his face. "Wait! Wait. Let's, let's talk about this. I mean, you don't want to do something that you're gonna regret later." Sheridan's cocked the gun. "Or maybe you do." Dean closed his eyes and waited for the shot.

A voice rang out. "Pete! Put the gun down."

Dean opened his eyes to find Ballard, Sam, and Piper coming out of the woods.

"Diana? How'd you find me?" Sheridan asked, not lowering his gun.

She ignored the question. "I know about Claire."

Sheridan shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Put the gun down!" she shouted, pointing her own gun at him.

Sheridan shook his head and kept his weapon where it was. "Oh, I don't think so. You're fast. I'm pretty sure I'm faster." He smirked.

"Not as fast as I am." Piper's voice rang through the clearing, followed by a gunshot.

Dean scooted back as Sheridan fell, clutching his shoulder and shouting, "You bitch!"

Ballard came forward and kicked his gun away.

"Why would you do this?" she asked softly, gun still trained on him.

He put on a pleading face. "I didn't do anything, Diana."

"It's a little late for that."

"It wasn't my fault. Claire was trying to turn me in, I had no choice."

Tears welled up in Ballard's eyes. "And Tony? Karen?"

Piper came around to Dean, gun still pointing at the man on the ground. She helped him to his feet, although he was still handcuffed.

Sheridan was shouting. "Same thing! Tony scrubbed the money, he got skittish, and then he wanted to come clean. I'm sure he told Karen everything."

Sam came over to Piper and Dean, and Dean felt his brother start to pick the handcuffs open.

"It was a mess. I had to clean it up. I just panicked."

Ballard asked softly, "How many more people are gonna die over this, Pete?"

Sheridan got up in his knees and held his good hand out to her. Dean felt fierce pride at Piper's shot. "There's a way out. These kids are a friggin' gift. We could pin the whole thing on them. Right? No trial, nothing. Just, just a few more dead scumbags."

"Rude," Piper scoffed.

Sheridan glared at her, then turned back to his partner. Ballard had stepped close, too close. "Please, no one will question it. Diana, please. I still love you." She lowered the gun. "Thank you. Thank you."

Diana lowered her gun and punched him across the face. "Then why don't you buy me another necklace, you ass?

Sheridan lunged and tackled her, knocking her gun out of her hand. Piper raised her gun, but there was no clean shot.

Sam dove for the gun on the ground, but Sheridan got there first. As he raised it toward Ballard, his eyes flicked up to look behind her. His face paled. "No, don't! Don't do it!"

Claire stood behind Ballard. She smiled, and then another gunshot sounded. Blood started to spread over the spot Sheridan's heart. He fell quietly and undramatically.

 **xxxxx**

Piper watched sympathetically as Ballard knelt next to Sheridan's body. "You okay?" she asked the older woman softly.

The detective shook her head. "Not really. The death omen Claire. What happens to her now?"

"Should be over. She should be at rest." Sam said.

Dean coughed. "So, uh. What now, officer?"

She stood. "Pete did confess to me. He screwed up both your cases royally. I'd say that there's a good chance that we could get your cases dismissed."

Piper was surprised. "You'd take care of that for us?"

"I hope so. But the St. Louis murder charges? That's another story. I can't help you. Unless... I just happened to turn my back, and you walked away. I could just tell them that the suspects escaped."

Sam frowned. "Wait, are you sure? I mean, you could lose your job over something like that."

Ballard let out a deep breath. "Look, I just want you guys out there doing what you do best. Trust me, I'll sleep better at night." She turned her back. "Listen, you need to watch your back. They're gonna be looking for all of you right now. Get out of here. I gotta radio this in."

Dean paused. "Hey, uh, you wouldn't happen to know where my car is, by chance?"

Ballard turned back to look at them. "It's at the impound yard down on Robertson. Don't," she pointed at Dean. "Even think about it."

Piper elbowed him. "It's okay, it's alright, don't worry. We'll, uh, we'll just improvise. I mean, we're pretty good at that."

"Yeah. I've noticed." Detective Ballard said dryly, then turned away and pulled out her phone.

 **xxxxx**

They walked side by side down the road, on the way back to the impound lot to get Baby.

"Dean, I meant to ask, what happened to your face?" Piper inquired.

"That dick bag cop assaulted me, that's what."

Piper raised an eyebrow. "Did you deserve it?"

 _"Deserve_ it? Piper, he was a murderer! He was a psycho! He tried to shoot me!" Dean sputtered.

Sam was laughing as Piper replied, "Well, yes, but before we knew all of that. What did you do?"

"Nothing!"

Piper and Sam shared a look. "You definitely deserved it."

Their laughter rang out into the woods as Dean huffed.

 **xxxxx**

 **A/N: Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural, or the characters (heartbroken).**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	8. Don't You Forget It

Piper was sitting in her bed in their motel room, lost in her thoughts about Dean. She was worried. He had been reckless on their last hunt. They had essentially confirmed that John had sold his soul to save Dean, and he wasn't dealing with the revelation. He was driving too fast, drinking too much, and he hadn't come back to the motel two nights in a row. She wasn't mad that he was probably with women _(well, be honest, not_ that _mad…),_ she was concerned. He was sinking himself into his vices.

Sam gave a startled shout and fell between the two queen beds.

"Sam? Sam!" she shouted, jumping down and shaking his shoulders. "Sam!"

The door opened to admit Dean, chewing on beef jerky. He took a look at her face and froze. "Piper, what-"

Sam jerked awake, and looked at Piper like he had no idea who she was. She felt ice at the base of her spine.

Then he looked at Dean, and horror crossed his face. "No…"

 **xxxxx**

Piper was in the backseat of the Impala, feeling more scared than she could remember feeling. Sam's vision had terrified him, and her along with it. She silently listened to the boys, being navigated by a GPS system.

"Continue on O-R Two-Two-Four West."

"There are only two towns in the US named Rivergrove."

Dean flicked his eyes to Sam. "How come you're so sure it's the one in Oregon?"

Sam was silent for a moment. "There was a picture. Crater Lake."

"Okay, what else?"

"I saw a dark room, some people, and a guy tied to a chair."

"And I ventilated him?" Piper shuddered at his use of the word.

"Yeah. You thought there was something inside him."

Dean made a face. "What, a demon? Was he possessed?"

A beat of silence. "I don't know." Sam replied quietly.

"Well, all your weirdo visions are always tied to the Yellow-Eyed Demon somehow, so was there any black smoke? Did we try to exorcise it?"

"No. Nothing, you just plugged him, that's it."

"Well, I'm sure I had a good reason."

"I sure hope so."

Dean glared at Sam. "What does that mean?" Another beat of silence. "I mean, I'm not gonna waste an innocent man." Sam just looked at him. "I wouldn't!" Piper winced as he yelled.

"I never said you would!"

"Fine!"

"Fine! Look, we don't know what it is. But whatever it is, that guy in the chair's a part of it. So let's find him, and see what's what. "

"Fine."

"Fine."

 **xxxxx**

Piper ran inside ahead of Sam, who was carrying the woman they'd found in the home with two possessed men. "Hello? Hello? We need a doctor here!" The woman had been injured.

A young blonde woman dressed in scrubs came running into the lobby as Sam entered with the woman in his arms. The nurse's eyes widened at the sight of the injured woman. Sam's eyes widened when he saw the girl, and Piper knew she was the girl in his vision.

"Mrs. Tanner, what happened?"

"She's been attacked."

"Doctor Lee?"

Another woman in a doctor's lab coat ran in, immediately taking in the situation. "Bring her in."

Sam nodded. "Okay."

The nurse led them into a back room, where Sam placed Mrs. Tanner onto an exam table gently.

Dean entered, carrying the body of Mr. Tanner covered in canvas over his shoulder.

The doctor stared. "Is that-"

"Mr. Tanner?" Dean asked tightly.

"Was he attacked too?"

Dean shook his head. "Uh... No, actually, he did the attacking. And then he got himself shot."

The doctor paled. "Shot?" She looked at him. "And who are you?"

"U.S. Marshal. I'd show you my badge, but uh…" he gestured toward the body.

"Oh. Sorry. Bring him back here."

Piper had moved back into the exam room with the doctor, who began to assess the damage on Beverly.

Dr. Lee looked up at her patient. "Wait, you said Jake helped him? Your son Jake?"

Beverly nodded, more tears slipping down her face. "They beat me. Tied me up."

The nurse, whose name Piper had discovered was Pam, was shaking her head. "I don't believe it."

Dr. Lee glared. "Pam. Beverly... Do you have any idea why they would act this way? Any history of chemical dependency?"

Beverly started crying harder. "No, of course not. I don't know why. One minute they were my husband and my son. And the next, they had the devil in them."

Piper paled, looking back at the Winchesters to find them already sharing a look. Dean looked at her and tilted his head toward the door. She nodded and followed them.

"Those guys were whacked out of their gourds." Dean said.

Sam looked puzzled. "What do you think? Multiple demons, mass possession?"

Piper spoke up. "If it is a possession there could be more. I mean, God knows how many, it could be like a Shriner convention."

Sam scoffed. "Great."

"Of course, that's one way to wipe out a town, you take it from the inside."

Sam wasn't convinced. "I don't know, man. We didn't see any of the demon smoke with Mr. Tanner, or any of the other usual signs."

"Well, whatever. Something turned him into a monster. And you know if you woulda taken out the other one there'd be one less to worry about."

"I'm sorry, all right? I hesitated, Dean, it was a kid!"

Dean shook his head. "No, it was an 'it'. Not the best time for a bleeding heart, Sam."

Piper frowned. "Winchester…"

Dr. Lee chose that moment to leave her lab and glare at the three of them.

Sam asked, "How's the patient?"

Dr. Lee's eyes were flashing. "Terrible! What the hell happened out there?"

Piper sighed. "We don't know."

The doctor rounded on Dean. "Yeah? Well, you just killed my next door neighbor."

"Hey, we didn't have a choice." Dean was holding his hands up defensively.

"Maybe so, but we need the county Sheriff. I need the coroner…"

"Phones are down," Sam interjected.

"I know, I tried. Tell me you have a police radio in the car?"

Piper nodded. "Yeah we do. But it's not working, either."

Dr. Lee put a hand to her head. "I don't understand what is happening."

Dean sighed. "How far is it to the next town?"

The doctor's eyebrows raised. "It's about forty miles down to Sidewinder."

Dean nodded. "All right, I'm gonna go down there, see if I can find some help. My partners will stick around, keep you guys safe."

Piper opened her mouth to object, but Dean had already started away.

 **xxxxx**

"What if we all have it? What if we all go crazy?" Pam asked, horrified.

Piper gritted her teeth. The nurse was starting to piss her off. They had found out that the dead husband had a virus, some sort of demon virus. Piper was pacing, nervously trying to resist reaching for the gun tucked into her waistband. _Shooting the nurse will solve nothing, shooting the nurse will solve nothing..._

Dr. Lee was more comforting. "You've got to stay calm. All we can do is wait. The Marshal's bringing help."

But Pam was shaking her head. "I can't, I… I've got to go."

Piper frowned. "We can't leave."

"No, you don't understand. My boyfriend's out there, I gotta make sure he's okay."

Piper resisted another urge to reach for her gun, and followed Pam out into the hallway, catching her by the elbow. "All right, wait, wait. Please. Look, I know you're upset, all right? But it's safer if you stay here for now. Help is coming." Piper turned her head and watched the Impala roll up in front.

Sam, who had been watching the scene in the lobby, sighed in relief. "There they are." He went to the door to unlock it and let Dean and another man, who were both armed, in, and then locked the door again behind them.

Sam looked at them anxiously. "Did you guys, uh, get to a phone?"

Dean shook his head. "They have the roads blocked." He looked at Mark. "I need to talk to them.

Doc's inside." Mark walked into the back of the clinic as Dean turned back to Sam and Piper.

Piper spoke first. "What's going on out there, Winchester?"

Dean shook his head again. "I don't know, I feel like Chuck Heston in the Omega Man, I mean, Sarge is the only sane person I could find. What are we dealing with, do you know?"

"Yeah. Doc thinks it's a virus." Sam said cautiously.

"Okay, great. What do you think?"

"I think she's right."

Dean's eyebrows rose. "Really?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah. And I think the infected are trying to infect others with blood-to-blood contact. Oh, but it gets better. The uh, the virus? Leaves traces of sulfur in the blood."

"A demonic virus?"

Piper scoffed. "Yeah, more like demonic germ warfare. At least it explains why Sam's been having visions."

"It's like a Biblical plague," said Dean.

Sam nodded again. "Yeah. You don't know how right you are, Dean. We've been poring through Dad's journal, found something about the Roanoke colony."

Dean waited, then nodded impatiently. "And?"

"Your dad always had a theory about Croatoan. He thought it was a demon's name. Sometimes known as Deva or sometimes Resheph. A demon of plague and pestilence." Piper supplied.

"Well, that, that's terrific. Why here, why now?"

"I have no idea."

Piper felt the blood drain from her face. "Who knows how far this thing can spread?" She looked between the two of them. "We gotta get out of here, we gotta warn people."

Mark started yelling from the other room. "They've got one! In here!"

The three of them shared a look and ran into the next room. "What do you mean?" Dean shouted.

Sam took one look at Beverly. "The wife. She's infected."

Mark looked at them. "We've gotta take care of this. We can't just leave her in there. My neighbors, they were strong. The longer we wait, the stronger she'll get."

 **xxxxx**

Pam was pale. "You're gonna kill Beverly Tanner?"

Piper looked at Dr. Lee. "Doctor, could there be any treatment? Some kind of cure for this?"

Dean whipped around. "Can you cure it?"

The doctor's eyes were wide as she looked between them. She was panicking. "For God's sake, I don't even know what 'it' is!"

Mark looked at Dean. "I told you, it's just a matter of time before she breaks through."

Pam was horrified, looking between the two of them. "Just leave her in there, you can't shoot her like an animal!"

"Sam." Dean summoned and walked to the door that Beverly was locked in. Piper pulled Pam away, putting her arm around her and leading her over to where the doctor sat, shocked.

The boys went to the door, Dean and Mark with their guns at the ready. Sam carefully opened the door.

"Mark, what are you doing?" Piper heard Mrs. Tanner's voice, though she couldn't see her. "Mark, it's, it's them! They locked me in here, they, they tried to kill me! They're infected, not me! Please, Mark! You've known me all your life! Please!"

Dean glanced at Sam. "You sure she's one of 'em?"

Sam swallowed hard and nodded, his face twisted. Mark looked away, tears in his eyes, as Dean stepped forward and fired two shots.

 **xxxxx**

"You might kill an innocent man, and you don't even care! You don't act like yourself anymore, Dean. Hell, you know what? You're acting like one of those things out there."

Piper's stomach was churning, her eyes flicking between the Winchesters as she watched them argue. She thought she was scared before, and it was nothing compared to this. How far could Dean go before he didn't come back? On the other hand, how could they risk letting the man live?

"Mm-hmm," Dean was muttering as he shoved past Sam. He looked back at Piper, and she felt compelled to follow him. Before Sam could, he turned and locked the door behind them.

"Hey! Open the damn door, Dean! Piper, get back here! Don't do it, Dean! Don't!"

Dean looked at Piper flatly, and she turned toward the room she knew Dean wanted to go into.

"Well, let's go then," she said quietly. She was with Dean, no matter what, and she was worried that he was right. What if the kid was putting them in danger?

Dean nodded and they slowly started down the hallway. He dropped the clip out of his gun and replaced it. Piper pulled her gun from her waistband and held it at the ready. Dean opened the door to the lab and walked in slowly, closing it behind Piper.

Duane started struggling against the ropes that held him to the chair. "No, you're not gonna... No, no, I swear it's not in me!"

Pam moaned. "Oh God. We're all gonna die."

Mark glanced at her, then looked at Dean. "Maybe he's telling the truth."

Dean shook his head, determined. "No, he's not him, not anymore."

Duane was still struggling. "Stop it! Ask her, ask the doctor! It's not in me!"

Dr. Lee looked pale and drawn. She looked down at the floor. "I...I can't tell."

The restrained man started to sob. "Please, don't. Don't, please. I swear, it's not in me, it's not in me, I swear, I, I swear it's not in me. No, don't."

"I got no choice." Dean pointed the gun at Duane. Piper felt a chill at the base of her spine. She stepped forward and placed her hand low on Dean's back, but didn't say anything. He hesitated, trembling. He finally lowered the gun. "Damn it!" He walked out. Piper blinked in shock, then scurried after him.

 **xxxxx**

An hour later, Sam was sitting on a stool in front of Dr. Lee, who was bandaging his wound. He was quiet, his face somber and worried.

Dean was pacing aggressively. "Doc, check his wound again, would you?"

Mark glared. "What's she need to examine him for? You saw what happened."

Dr. Lee looked at Sam. "Did her blood actually enter your wound?"

Mark scoffed. "Come on, of course it did!"

Piper stood up and glared. "We don't know that for sure."

Duane, from the corner. "We can't take a chance."

Mark didn't take his eyes off of Dean. "You know what we have to do."

Dean's face was tight. "Nobody's shooting my brother."

"He isn't gonna be your brother much longer. You said it yourself."

Piper snapped. "Nobody is shooting anyone!" she glared at Duane.

He sat up and walked closer. "He was gonna shoot me!"

She stood face to face with him. "You don't shut up, _I_ might shoot you!"

"Dean, Piper, they're right. I'm infected. Just give me the gun and I'll do it myself."

Piper's eyes widened and her heart stopped. _What?_

Dean shook his head. "Forget it."

Sam looked at both of them pleadingly. "Dean, I'm not gonna become one of those things."

"Sam, we've still got some time-" Piper started to beg.

"Time for what?" Mark interrupted. "Look, I understand he's your brother, and I'm sorry, I am. But we gotta take care of this," he said, pulling out his handgun.

Piper drew her gun and pointed it at Mark. Dean looked at him coldly. "I'm gonna say this one time. You make a move on him, you'll be dead before you hit the ground. You understand me? I mean, do I make myself clear?!"

Mark dropped his weapon in exasperation. "Then what are we supposed to do?!"

Dean thought for a moment, looked at Sam, and looked at Piper for a long moment. Then he dug into his pocket and tossed his keys to Mark. "Get the hell out of here, that's what. Take my car. You've got the explosives, there's an arsenal in there. You two go with him. You've got enough firepower to handle anything now."

Piper's eyes widened, but she nodded. This is what it had come down to, and she had already made her decision. She would see her Winchesters through this, or she would die alongside them.

Mark looked shocked. "What about you?

Sam realized what was going on. "Dean, no. No. Go with them. This is your only chance!"

Dean looked back at his brother and smiled. "You're not gonna get rid of me that easy."

Mark shook his head. "No, he's right. Come with us." Dean just looked at him. "Okay, it's your funeral."

"Piper, lock the door behind them," Dean said quietly. She stood to follow them to the door.

Dr. Lee turned. "I'm sorry. Thanks for everything, Marshals."

Dean grinned. "Oh, actually we're not really Marshals. Hey, Mark?"

Mark looked back and made eye contact with Dean. Piper only had a moment to realize that Dean was right behind her and to wonder at the look in their eyes before she felt him shove her forward into Mark's arms.

"Sorry, Pipes." Dean said as he shut and locked the door behind her.

 _"No!"_ Piper shrieked, fighting with everything she had to get back at the door. "Winchester! Dean! _Open this door right now!_ " She elbowed Mark in the side and ran to the door, fighting to get it open. Tears stood in her eyes as she shouted at Dean. "God dammit, Dean! Open this door!"

When he made no move to turn, she took out her gun and pointed it at the door. She felt strong arms go around her and started fighting as Mark hauled her away before she could shoot the damn thing open.

 **xxxxx**

The next night, after leaving the supposedly abandoned town, Dean pulled into a gas station parking lot. They all climbed out to stretch, and Dean tossed the credit card at Sam. "Go inside and pay, Sammy."

Sam frowned. "Screw you, Dean you-"

Dean flicked his eyes to Piper, whose back was turned. She had refused to look at or engage with either of them since they'd left the clinic in Rivergrove. "Just go, Sam."

Sam nodded and walked inside.

Dean put the gas pump into Baby and thought about how to approach Piper. She was mad, he understood. She had every right to be. How could he convince her that he couldn't let her die for them? She didn't deserve this… She had been mostly untouched by this curse so far, and he didn't want her to have any part of it. She could fight beside him every day, but if it came right down to it, Dean didn't want her dying beside him.

He sighed and approached her, standing next to her. "Piper…"

"Stop it, Winchester." She didn't look at him. "I don't want to hear it."

He winced. "Pipes, come on…"

"No."

She turned to walk back to the Impala, and Dean quickly stepped in her way. "You're not getting back into that car until you talk to me, Piper."

She didn't make eye contact, just looked at his chest. "Is that so?'

Dean could have sagged in relief. "Piper, I ju-" he had started to say when she punched him in the face. He was fairly sure he felt a crack. "God dammit, Piper, what the hell?"

She was making eye contact, and he kind of wanted her to look away. She sure wasn't cold anymore, fire was crackling in her eyes and her face was contorted with fury. "What the hell, Dean?" Her quiet question scared him a little. "What the hell? You want to know what the hell? Well, let me tell you. Screw you. Screw you and all of this crap you won't tell me." She was advancing on him, and Dean found himself taking a step back. Irritated at himself, he stopped and let her come to him until she was inches away. "Screw you for not trusting me to make my own damn decisions. _Screw you for locking me out of that room while you intended to die_." There were tears in her eyes, and she glared up at him for a long moment.

He couldn't take it. "Piper…"

Before he finished, she hit him hard in the face again. "No, Dean, I am done with this." His heart stilled, and he couldn't find the breath to move his hand to his face again. "I'm done with your suicidal, kamikaze, 'I'm not good enough,' bullshit." She was smacking him the chest to punctuate her words. "I am in this fight whether you like it or not, whether you want me here or not. And I am not, I repeat, _I am not going to let you off yourself_." She stopped hitting him and looked up coldly. "Got that, Winchester?"

He opened his mouth again, then caught her hand when she tried to hit him a third time. "God dammit, Piper, quit hitting me."

She yanked out of his grasp. "You don't get to tell me what to do." She looked away from him, and he rubbed his cheek as her lip trembled. "I can't believe that crap you pulled, Winchester," she said softly. "I don't kn-"

Dean never learned what she was about to say, because she was yanked forward into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and held her, refusing to give in to her struggles to get away. They only lasted a moment, anyway, and then she put her arms around his waist and lay her head against his chest. She didn't cry, but there were some sniffles.

He lay his non-bruised cheek against her head. "I'm sorry, Piper."

She didn't move. "I know."

"I didn't… I just didn't think you deserved to die in there with us." Silence greeted this observation.

"Pipes, come on. I'm just…" He swallowed, trying to stem his own tears now. "I'm just tired, Piper. I'm tired of carrying all of this around."

She looked up at him, meeting his eyes with her lovely hazel ones. Her hair was pulled back, a few free wisps brushing against her face. "Why would you think you have to carry it around by yourself? Why do you think I'm here, because of your pretty face?"

"Well, I am a god," he chuckled.

She squeezed him for a moment, searching his eyes. Then she closed hers, let out a deep breath, and put her head back down on his chest. "Dean, I'm here for you. For anything. You want to just hunt down this bastard and kill him? That's fine. But if you want to talk about it, I'm good at that, too."

Dean held her close and put his head down on hers again. When she had come back, he had been determined to not let her get involved. She had done nothing to deserve that, he wanted her to go away and be happy. Preferably without hunting. He wanted her to go have a normal, happy life, like a woman her age was supposed to be having.

But for some God-forsaken reason, she seemed determined to stay with him. "I don't think I did anything to deserve it, but I'm glad you're sticking around, kitten." he said softly.

She raised her head and smiled at him. He looked into her eyes, and tried to identify the emotion in their depths. Her eyes widened a fraction, and seemingly against her will, her gaze dropped to his mouth. Dean felt it like a punch to the gut, and found his own gaze dragged down to her mouth. His thoughts went to kissing her, to moving down her neck and leaving his mark on that spot that for some reason he was sure would drive her crazy.

His eyes started to drift close when a shout rang out. "Dean! Piper! Everything okay?"

Piper paused, then laughed out loud. No matter how irritated he was at the interruption, her laughter made him grin. She stepped away, and he felt the loss of her warmth and softness. He watched her turn to Sam. "Fine, Sam, I just had to kick your brother's ass for a second."

Dean laughed, remembering that his face hurt like hell. "You're really more of a hellcat than a kitten, kitten," he said cheerfully as he slung an arm around her shoulders and they started walking back to the car. He craved her closeness.

She grinned up at him. "Don't you forget it."

 **xxxxx**

 **A/N: Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural, or the characters (heartbroken).**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	9. Are You Doing This on Purpose?

"What? Dean, what did he tell you?"

Piper was standing between Dean and Sam, looking between them. She was scared again. It was becoming a familiar sensation.

Dean closed his eyes and leaned his head back. "He said that he wanted me to watch out for you, to take care of you." He looked so pained that Piper walked and stood next to him, her shoulder against his.

Sam was scoffing. "He told you that a million times."

Dean leaned a little harder into Piper. "No, this time was different. He said that I had to save you."

"Save me from what?"

Dean finally met Sam's eyes. "He just said that I had to save you, that nothing else mattered. And that if I couldn't, I'd…" Piper's heart stalled, and she had trouble breathing. _Please, John, no_...

"You'd what, Dean?"

Dean didn't break eye contact with Sam. "That I'd have to kill you. He said that I might have to kill you, Sammy."

Piper closed her eyes against the words, laying her head on Dean's shoulder. For one awful moment, she was glad John Winchester was dead. She had loved the boys' father, and had been more than grateful that he had saved her life. She had never resented his hardness, or his rough training methods.

But she resented him now. She resented the hell out of him. How could he do this to them? Keep some sort of insane secret from Sam? Lay this responsibility on Dean? If John had been alive and in front of her, Piper could have shot him.

Sam was floored. "Kill me? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Dean closed his eyes. "I don't know."

Sam was starting to get mad. "I mean, he must have had some kind of reason for saying it, right? Did he know the demon's plans for me? Am I supposed to go darkside or something? What else did he say, Dean?"

Dean opened his eyes again. "Nothing, that's it, I swear."

Sam ran a hand through his hair. "How could you not have told me this?"

"Because it was Dad, and he begged me not to." Piper wanted to wrap them both in her arms so bad it hurt.

Sam threw his arms wide. "Who cares?! Take some responsibility for yourself, Dean! You had no right to keep this from me!"

Piper felt Dean tense against her. "You think I wanted this? Huh? I wish to God he'd never opened his mouth. Then I wouldn't have to walk around with this screaming in my head all day."

Sam turned away from them, running a hand over his mouth. "We've just got to figure out what's going on, then, what the hell all this means."

Dean stared at his brother's back. "We do?" He shifted, but didn't move away from Piper. "I've been thinking about this, I think we should just lay low. You know? At least for a while. It'd be safer. And that way I can make sure-"

Sam whipped around. "What? That I don't turn evil? That I don't turn into some kind of killer?"

Dean's face hardened dangerously. "I never said that."

Sam laughed darkly. "Jeez, if you're not careful you will have to waste me one day, Dean."

Piper moved her head away quickly as Dean stood up. "I never said that! Dammit, Sam, this whole thing is spinning out of control. All right? You're immune to some weirdo demon virus, and I don't even know what the hell anymore. And you're pissed at me, I get it. That's fine, I deserve it. But we lay low until we figure out our next move, okay?"

Sam shook his head. "Forget it."

Dean started to plead. It hurt Piper's heart. "Sam, please, man. Hey, please. Just give me some time. Give me some time to think, okay? I'm begging you here, please. Please."

Sam nodded shortly.

 **xxxxx**

"Winchester, it's-"

"Stop it, Piper. We're going to find him, I know that. Just stop it."

She huffed. "I know you know we're going to find him, jackass. I was _going_ to say it's not your fault. I was _going_ to say it will be fine, but if you don't want to hear it, then I'll shut up." She looked out the window and tried not to pout.

She heard him sigh. "I'm sorry, kitten. I just don't know where the hell he would have gone." A moment of silence. "Or why."

She scoffed, trying not to soften towards him. "Yes, you do. You know exactly why." She turned to meet his gaze with a cocked eyebrow. "Playing dumb will not win you sympathy here, Winchester."

He chuckled. "Yeah, I guess it won't." Another sigh. "I'm just mad. He knows it wasn't my fault. And, and how the hell would I have told him that, Pipes? I don't even know what the hell to do with it, and I'm the one Dad said it to."

 _Damn it._ "Look. I don't know what the hell John was thinking, talking to you like that." Anger started to fizz under the surface. "Who does that? Who says that to his kid?"

Dean shifted uncomfortably. "Pipes, I'm not really a kid anymore."

"Shut it, Winchester," she snapped. "It doesn't matter. He was your father. And I know you'll hear no wrong about him, and you know damn well I loved that man. But sometimes, I think that if he was here and alive, I would… I would kick his ass," she finished. _Probably best not to share that particular thought_.

"He would let you." Dean was smiling. "He did have a soft spot for you, Pipes." He started laughing. "Do you remember that Christmas, we were probably eighteen, when we were on a hunt, what were we doing…"

Piper laughed with him. "A witch. You were hunting a witch."

He snapped his fingers. "Yes! And you called him in the middle, and it was December twenty-third, and you said," he made his high-pitched, "'John Winchester, if you and those boys don't get your asses home for Christmas-'"

"'I will hunt you down and kill all three of you myself,'" Piper finished, laughing. "And he got your asses back for Christmas, didn't he?"

 **xxxxx**

 _Piper had decorated the house as much as Bobby would let her, and had fought tooth and nail for the tiny tree on the kitchen table. She was cooking dinner, humming in the kitchen when she heard the door open._

 _She pulled the gun from her waistband and peeked around the corner, to see Dean, covered in snow, walking through the door._

 _She laughed, stuck in her gun in her waistband, and ran to him. "Dean!" She threw herself into his arms._

 _He caught her, barely. "Jesus, Pipes, careful," he said, hugging her close._

" _Welcome home, Dean," she said pulling back and grinning at him. Then she looked over his_ _shoulder. "Sammy!"_

" _Piper!" Sam, already taller than Piper at fourteen, caught her and swung her in a circle as John brought the rest of the bags in._

 _When he put her down, John pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. "Hi, Piper, you damn pain in the ass."_

 _She smiled sunnily at him. "Welcome home, John."_

" _Get your asses in the house, it's cold outside!" Bobby grouched, helping Dean move the Winchester's things into the house._

 _Hours later, after dinner and drinks, Bobby and John went to the bed. Piper and Sam were in the living room, playing chess, Dean was mixing himself another drink in the kitchen._

" _Oh! I got you guys something!" She bounded up the stairs to her room._

 _Sam grinned. "She was losing."_

 _Dean chuckled and ambled in to sit on the couch as Piper ran back down the stairs, packages in her arms._

" _Here, Sammy, open yours first!"_

 _Sam grinned and pulled his open. Inside was a picture of four-year-old Dean, holding an infant. "I found it with Bobby's things, and got a copy made. I made the frame, so you can get another one if you don't like it," she babbled happily._

" _No, no, I like it, Pipe." Sam swallowed thickly, then looked down. "What is this?" He pulled out a leather bound notebook, with the his name embossed on the front._

" _It's a fancy notebook, for when you go to college." They looked at her in surprise. She leaned forward and whispered in Sam's ear, "You're going to make it out of this life, Sammy. Just don't forget us." When she tried to sit back, Sam pushed the gifts aside and hugged her. He kissed her on the cheek. "Merry Christmas, Piper."_

 _She sat back with tears in her eyes. Trying for nonchalance, she tossed a package at Dean. He caught it with his free hand, put his drink down, and opened it. He grinned. "Busty Asian_

 _Beauties. My ladies."_

 _She smiled. "Merry Christmas, Winchesters."_

 _Even later that night, Piper came downstairs for water, finding Dean sitting on the couch, nursing a drink. He met Piper's surprised eyes. "Everything okay, Pipes?"_

 _She nodded, then ran back to her room. When she came back down, she had a package in her hands. She came and sat next to him. "I made this for you, it's stupid, but I wanted you to have it." She blushed, wanting to snatch it out of his hands. She got up and hurried into the kitchen._

 _Dean watched her go, confused. He set his drink again, and opened the package carefully. A circle of leather lay inside, with knots on either side. He felt something shift in his chest looking at_ _it, and tried to remember when the last time he'd gotten a gift that wasn't the amulet Sam gave him._

 _He slipped it onto his right wrist and admired it for a minute. Then he stood to go to the kitchen._

 _He almost ran into Piper in the doorway. She gasped and grabbed his shoulders to keep from falling, his hands settled on her waist. She looked into his eyes, and Dean marveled at how pretty hers were._

" _Thank you," he said roughly, still staring at her._

 _She smiled. "Merry Christmas, Dean." Her eyes flicked up above him, blushed, and tried to push past him. "'Night!"_

 _He held her fast and looked up, eyebrows raising at the sprig of mistletoe hung there. He felt his body come alive, then slowly looked back down at her, smiling. "Come on, now. Christmas tradition, Piper," he chided, then lowered his lips to hers, keeping her gaze until he watched her eyes drift shut._

 _Fireworks went off on Dean's head. After what seemed like a small eternity had passed,she gasped and wrapped her arms around his neck, coming up on tiptoe. He pulled her firmly against him, then gently walked her back against the doorway and leaned into her. Ragged breathing was the only sound he could hear. His fingers dug into her hips and she whimpered. There would be bruises there that she would cherish tomorrow._

 _A cough sounded from the Winchesters' room, startling them apart. Piper's eyes widened to saucers, and she slipped away from him. He felt cold._

"' _Night, Dean!" She squeaked, not turning around until she got up the stairs._

"' _Night." Dean said to an empty room._

Piper blushed at the memory, looking straight ahead, but smiling. It was a little embarrassing still, but she had fancied herself in love with Dean at eighteen. _Who wouldn't have at eighteen?_

 **xxxxx**

Dean was smiling, too, and she risked a glance at him to see it fading off of his face. He met her eyes for a second, then looked back at the road. "Best Christmas of my life, kitten," he said softly.

Piper smiled and scooted until she could rest her head on his shoulder. He moved and put his arm around her and pulled her close. She smiled at the sight of his right wrist, where that leather bracelet still was. A bit more worn, and there was an extra knot where it has broken at some point, but still there.

They were quiet for a moment. "Hey," she said, looking up at him. "I know you already know this. But we're going to find him, okay? He's going to be fine. You two are going to be fine."

Dean squeezed her tighter for a moment, but said nothing.

 **xxxxx**

Several hours later, they pulled up to a motel. Piper went inside and booked a room while Dean parked. He was exhausted, running on empty, but his mind was still moving fast. He was scared. If he was honest, he was kind of terrified. What if they didn't find Sam before something happened? What if he had to…

Piper interrupted his thoughts by walking out with the key in hand. He watched her walk to their room as he got out of Baby and opened the trunk. Piper was tired, too, but she hadn't said a word about stopping until he'd almost fallen asleep at the wheel. "Just a few hours, then we'll find him," she had said confidently. He didn't understand her faith, but it was strong enough for both of them.

They got ready for bed in comfortable silence. Once the lights were out, Dean couldn't sleep. He couldn't get his mind to stop running. He looked over at Piper, who was still. He got up as quietly as he could and reached for Piper's laptop, thinking he would try to trace Sammy's cell again.

"I swear to Christ, Winchester, if you don't quit fidgeting and go to sleep, I will murder you myself."

He paused. "I thought you were asleep."

She turned around and propped herself on her elbow. "We're not going to find him if we're too tired to think. And tracing his phone didn't work the last 80 times we tried it, he's probably using a burner." She met his eyes. "Come on, Winchester, go to bed."

He shook his head. "Pipes, I can't. I'll just try the trace again."

She seemed to consider something, searching his face. Then she closed her eyes and sighed. She scooted to the far end of the bed and flipped the blankets up. "Come here."

He blinked, then looked away, scratching the back of his neck. "Piper, I don't need-"

"Dean," she said quietly. He looked at her again. "Needing comfort is not a bad thing, Winchester." She smiled. "Get your ass over here so I can sleep."

He hesitated, then walked over to her bed, under the pull of hearing his name on her tongue. She had turned back around, and he took the opportunity to stare down at her. She was wearing a tank top with thin straps, and he was grateful to see the waistband of sweatpants beneath the blankets. _Not crawling into bed with Piper not wearing pants,_ he thought wryly as he slid in beside her. He lay on his back next to her, too nervous to move, only sort of understanding why.

"For God's sake, Winchester. Give me your arm."

Confused, he held up his right arm, the one closest to her, and stayed on his back, not looking at her.

She turned onto her back and glared at him. "Are you doing this on purpose? _Your left arm, dummy."_

He put his arm down and sighed. "Piper-"

"Shut it, Winchester. If I don't fall asleep soon, I'm going to start getting aggressive." She turned back onto her right side. "Get your ass over here. Don't make me tell you again," she warned.

Slowly, giving her a chance to change her mind, Dean turned onto his right side behind her. He wrapped his left arm around her, and without thinking about it, pulled her close. He buried his face in her hair, breathing in her scent. He felt her shiver and lean back into him.

"'Night," she whispered softly.

Dean couldn't believe it. He was already half asleep. "'Night," he mumbled softly into her hair.

 **xxxxx**

Piper woke a few hours later and found that she had turned in her sleep and was facing Dean. His right arm was under her head, and his left hand rested at her waist. She took the opportunity to study him. _He looks so much younger,_ she thought. She had read about that in romance novels, and had never really understood how true it could be.

Her hands itched to run themselves along his face, to wake him up with her mouth on his. Instead, she cuddled closer and rested her head underneath his chin. Dean shifted a little in his sleep, pulling her tighter to him and placing a sleepy kiss on her forehead before falling back into deep sleep.

Piper ignored the pain in her heart, closed her eyes, and slept.

 **xxxxx**

"Come on, man. I know Sam, okay, better than anyone. He's got more of a conscience than I do, I mean, the guy feels guilty surfing the Internet for porn."

Piper and Dean were tied into chairs, sitting what must have been the living room of an abandoned farm. Gordon Walker, who had been hunting Sam without their knowledge, was straddling a chair in front of Dean, talking to him about the rumor that Sam was going to become a monster.

Piper was silent, struggling with the ropes that bound her wrists painfully tight to the arms of the chair. She was also tied around the chest, waist, and ankles. She was losing feeling in her hands and feet.

Gordon was shrugging. "Maybe you're right. But one day he's going to be a monster. Piper, girl, quit trying to get out of those ropes. I'm good at this, and I know you're a good hunter."

Piper glared at him. "Screw you, Walker."

Dean ignored them. "How? Huh? How's a guy like Sam become a monster?"

Another shrug. "Beats me. But he will."

"No, you don't know that!"

Gordon raised his eyebrows and stood up. "I'm surprised at you, Dean. Getting all emotional. I'd heard you were more of a professional than this. Look, let's say you were cruising around in that car of yours and, uh, you had little Hitler riding shotgun, right? Back when he was just some goofy, crappy artist. But you knew what he was going to turn into someday. You'd take him out, no questions, am I right?"

Piper stopped struggling to glare. "That is absolutely nothing like this situation."

Dean shook his head. "That's not Sam."

Gordon had walked over to his bag and pulled out two scarves. Piper glared at him. "You try to put that in my mouth, Walker, you're going to lose a finger."

He nonchalantly backhanded her. Piper didn't make a sound, but her eyes were watering, her head was ringing, and she tasted blood. "Sorry, Piper," Gordon said calmly. "I can't have that pretty mouth causing any trouble for me." He gagged her, tying the scarf behind her head.

He then turned to Dean, ignoring the cold fury radiating from him. "Yes it is Sam. You just can't see it yet. Dean, it's his destiny. Look, I'm sympathetic. He's your brother, you love the guy. This has got to hurt like hell for you." He looked at Piper. "And you. But here's the thing." He got the scarf into Dean's mouth and started tying it. "It would wreck him. But your dad? If it really came right down to it, he would have had the stones to do the right thing here. But you're telling me you're not the man he is?"

Dean was furious, glaring at Gordon. Piper gasped behind her gag, and redoubled her efforts to get free so she could kill Gordon with her bare hands. He had taken them by surprise, announcing his plans to kill Sam without blinking. Piper didn't think he really understood who the hell he was dealing with. Did he think they were just going to let him go free?

And then she could hear the sound of a lock pick being used on the back door. She started trying to scream through the gag, but the sound was too muffled. Dean was looking at her helplessly, both of them struggling to free themselves.

The door creaked open.

"Here he comes," Gordon whispered.

The first explosion sounded through the air. Piper couldn't breathe as tears began falling down her cheeks, her fear was suffocating her. She stopped struggling, trying to understand the terrible feeling in her heart. She felt separate from herself, watching as she sagged in her bonds, unable to meet Dean's eyes.

Dean was screaming at Gordon through his gag, when Gordon held up a finger. "Hold on. Not yet. Just wait and see."

Another grenade went off, and something seemed to turn back on in Piper's head. She started struggling harder against her bonds, her chair shifting across the floor, a low moan coming from her throat. She had to get to Dean, she could hear him sobbing, she needed to go to him. Right after she eviscerated Gordon.

The man had stopped and put his hand on Dean's shoulder. "Sorry, Dean."

As he walked away, Piper met Dean's eyes. They were filled with tears, too. Her tears spilled over again, looking at the pain on his face. She realized that she hadn't stopped moaning, and tried to quiet herself. She was still straining to hear Gordon.

And then, low, warning, was Sam's voice. "Drop the gun."

Piper watched Dean close his eyes in relief. She was crying again, trying to pull free so she could wrap her arms around Sam, assure herself that he was alive. Right after she eviscerated Gordon, of course.

She heard Gordon's voice, also low. "Shouldn't take your shoes off around here. You might get tetanus."

"Put it down now!" Sam shouted.

"You wouldn't shoot me, would you, Sammy? Because your brother and his little girlfriend in there, they think you're some kind of saint."

"Yeah? Well, I wouldn't be so sure."

"See, that's what I said."

There was a scuffle from the other room. Piper and Dean renewed their struggles.

"You're no better than the filthy things you hunt," Gordon snarled.

Another scuffle, then, "Do it. Do it! Show your brother the killer you really are, Sammy."

There was a smacking sound. "It's Sam."

Sam stumbled into the room where they were tied up. He went to Dean first, untying him slowly. As soon as his hands were free, Dean yanked the gag away, stood, and pulled Sam up with him.

He put his hands on Sam's face, examining his injuries. Sam nodded and smiled, and moved to untie Piper.

As soon as her hands were free, she flung her arms around Sam's neck. "Oh, Sam…"

He finished untying her and stood up with her still holding him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her hair. "It's okay, Pipes, I'm okay."

They looked up as Dean started back into the room where Gordon was. "That son of a…"

Sam took a step toward him. "Dean. No."

Dean turned around. "I let him live once. I'm not making the same mistake twice." Piper was nodding in agreement, stepping away from Sam toward that room. "Damn right," she muttered, following him, intending to make good on her internal promise.

"Guys, trust me. Gordon's taken care of. Come on."

Sam grabbed them and dragged them to the door. The three of them got out the door, down the steps, and were walking away from the farm when Gordon came out the front door. He had two guns in his hands, and started firing towards them.

The three of them started running toward the road. "God dammit, Sam, is this taken care of?" Piper shouted as she ran.

They dove into the ditch on the other side of the road. "What the hell are we doing, Sammy?" Dean asked, glaring.

Sam grinned. "Just trust me, all right?"

As he said that, three police cars swung into the clearing, sirens blaring. They surrounded Gordon, several officers leaping out and drawing their service weapons.

"Drop your weapons! Get down on your knees!"

"Anonymous tip," Sam whispered, grinning, as they crouched and walked away.

"You're a fine, upstanding citizen, Sammy." Dean chuckled as they ran.

 **xxxxx**

 **A/N: Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural, or the characters (heartbroken).**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	10. I Don't Believe It

"Come on, it will be fun!" Piper insisted, moving around Bobby's kitchen, putting the finishing touches on dinner. Dean was at the table next to Sam, ignoring the argument around him to concentrate on his beer and not staring at Piper's ass.

"Piper, we really don't have time to-" Sam started.

Piper whipped around, wielding a mixing spoon at the youngest Winchester. "Time for what, Sam? We're at a dead-end!" She turned back around to finish icing the last cupcake she'd made. She had been cooking like a mad person. Dean thought it had something to do with the few moments they had thought Sam was dead, but he wasn't going to complain.

"We need to take a break," she continued, while Dean didn't watch her ass. "We can take one day, then come back at it the next. We're going to go crazy if we don't go do something."

A carnival had come in two towns over, and Piper wanted to go. Dean gathered she thought it would be relaxing. He couldn't think of anything less relaxing than being in a crowd of people, lights swirling around and noises popping off. But if Piper wanted to do it, Dean was fairly certain that he would go, too. _Woman is messing with my thought processes,_ he thought half-bitterly to himself.

"Pipe, it would be insane-"

 _"Fine,_ Sam," she said crossly, putting plates in front of both of them. "I'll go by myself."

Dean frowned, unable to concentrate on the spaghetti in front of him. "Piper, no."

She turned to glare at him. "Finally getting into the argument, Winchester? Interesting. I'm going, neither of you have to go with me."

Dean shot her with a glare of his own as she sat down opposite to him, next to Sam. "Piper, no."

"Piper, yes!" she said happily. She sobered. "Look, neither of you have to come. It's dumb, I know it is. But I'm going to go," she said as she stabbed at her plate with a fork. "I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself."

 **xxxxx**

"I can't believe you weaseled me into coming here," Dean brooded as he surveyed the brightly colored stalls and swirling rides.

Piper laughed, and the sound made his heartbeat quicken. "I _told_ you guys you didn't have to come."

Her hair was down around her face, wavy, now a much lighter purple, more of a lavender color. She was in a pair of jeans and a tank top, with a leather jacket over everything because it was getting colder. Dean was having trouble keeping his eyes off of her.

Sam, on the other side of her, scoffed. "Yeah, okay, like we weren't going to come."

She grinned. "Shut up, Sam, let's go win me something."

The afternoon passed in a blur, and Dean found himself actually having a good time. There was more food than he would have expected, the highlight of his night being Piper showing him whatever the hell a funnel cake was. They played the stupid rigged games, and Piper made out like a bandit.

Dean found himself standing closer and closer to her as the night went on. Her joy was infectious, and he couldn't believe he was actually having fun at something as stupid as a carnival in a podunk town in South Dakota.

She had gone to talk to someone who ran one of the booths. Dean was watching her toss her head back and laugh out loud, her her hair swaying, when Sam said, "Oh, for God's sake, Dean, this is ridiculous."

Dean started and turned to his brother. "What?"

Sam was smirking. "You have been staring at Piper all night. It's getting kind of creepy, honestly."

Dean felt his face get hot. "Shut up, Sam. I'm just making sure she's okay."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, dude."

"What's helping who sleep?" Piper asked as she joined them again.

"Nothing. What next, kitten?" Dean said quickly, eyeing Sam.

She grinned. "Let's go ride the ferris wheel!"

Sam's face creased into a smile. "Absolutely not, Pipe. I have this thing about heights. Dean, why don't you take her?"

Dean felt his eyes widen as Piper glared at them. "I don't need to be 'taken.' I'll go by myself." She turned to walk away. "Once it's done, we can go home!"

Dean glared at Sam. "You have never in your life been afraid of heights," he snarled as he turned

to follow Piper. "Pipes, wait up!" he shouted, trying to drown out his brother's laughter.

 **xxxxx**

Dean, as it turned out, kind of had a thing about heights. "How often do you think these things get maintenance?" he asked nervously as their car slowly made it's way to the top.

Piper was sitting next to him, laughing. "I have seen you look a werewolf in the face and not bat an eye. How are you afraid of a ferris wheel?"

He glared at her. "I'm not _afraid,_ Piper, I'm cautious. No self-respecting person would put themselves on a ride that didn't have some geek making sure it was safe."

She rolled her eyes and leaned into him. Her warmth was a little distracting. "Shut up and enjoy the moment, Winchester." She lay her head on his shoulder. Something in him stilled, while something else celebrated. Slowly, he moved around so he could put his arm around her. She made a soft noise of surprise, then moved closer until they were touching shoulder to knee.

Dean wasn't sure what to do. He had a great deal of affection for Piper, she was by far his best friend. She had fought to stay by their side, and known when to lead and when to follow theirs. He didn't want to be in a relationship, but he wanted Piper, and Piper was not going to be a one night stand.

The car rose higher and Dean's thoughts were becoming scattered. He could feel her against him, soft but tense. She placed her small hand on his chest and looked up at him. Her eyes were warm, questioning, her mouth was held open the tiniest bit.

Dean's heart was beating hard, his blood thundering in his ears. His hand came up to push her hair behind her ear. Her eyes widened as his thumb traced down her jaw and over her bottom lip. He tilted his head until his forehead was pressed against hers, his eyes closed. "Piper…"

The car jerked to a stop, pulling them apart. She jumped and his arm tightened around her, both of them looking around. Dean realized that the ride had stopped. Unidentifiable emotions went through him, disappointment taking the lead as Piper stood up and got off the car.

He sighed and followed her, refusing to meet her or Sammy's eyes.

"So," she said too brightly. "Everyone ready to go?"

 **xxxxx**

A noise startled Dean awake. He sat straight up, breathing hard, trying to make sense of his surroundings. It looked like he was in a bedroom, and not in a motel. The bed was too nice, there was only one of them, and he wasn't wearing a stitch.

A soft sound next to him made him turn, and his heart stopped completely. Piper was next to him, purple hair clouding around her face, yawning. She didn't appear to be wearing anything.

"Dean? Honey, what's wrong?"

Dean was in shock. He just looked at her, watching her stretch under the blanket. She sighed again, not opening her eyes, and patted the space in front of her. "Come back here, baby, come back to sleep."

 _Oh, no, what the hell?_ Dean got up slowly, not disturbing Piper, and found a pair of sweats. He walked through the apartment, what was apparently Piper's apartment, and tried to absorb the details. There were lots of posters on the walls, of movies and bands. They were crammed between pictures of Sam and Piper, Piper and John, Dean and Sam, Dean and John. He paused at a picture of Piper and he. It looked like they were on a beach somewhere, kissing while he took the picture.

"What the hell?" he asked softly

He found his cell phone, flipped it open, and called Sam.

"Dean?" he answered.

"Sam?"

"What is going on?" Sam sounded wary.

"I don't know. I don't know where I am."

"What? What happened?"

"Well, the uh, the djinn. It attacked me."

"The gin? You're… Drinking gin?"

"No, asshat. The djinn. The… Scary creature. Remember? It put it's hand on me and then I woke up... Next to..."

"Who?" Sam chuckled. "Piper, hopefully?"

Dean frowned. "What?"

"Dean, you're drunk. You're drunk-dialing me."

"I am not drunk. Quit screwing around!" Dean growled.

"Look, it's late. All right, just get some sleep and, um, I'll... see you tomorrow. Okay?"

"Wait, Sam! Sam!"

Sam hung up on him. Dean sighed, considered calling him back, and put the phone back in his pocket instead. He looked around, trying to figure what the hell was going on.

There was a little table next to the front door. It had a bowl with some keys in it (he was bemused to see that some of them were his) and a few envelopes tossed carelessly on top. He picked up the top one to read the address.

Piper Finley

53 Barker Ave.

Apt. 38

Lawrence, KS 66044

"Lawrence?" he whispered to himself. He looked at the next envelope.

Dean Winchester

53 Barker Ave.

Apt. 38

Lawrence, KS 66044

"What the hell?"

"Honey? What are you doing?" Piper asked from the doorway. Dean turned to see her wrapping a long, silky robe around herself, her hair still wild.

"Hey, uh, Pipes, uh…"

She tilted her head. "Aw, couldn't sleep?"

"Yeah, uh, heh." Dean tried a smile, it felt awkward on his face.

Her eyes heated up and something low in him tightened in response. "Well," she said softly, "Why don't you come back to bed, and we'll see if I can do anything to help."

Dean swallowed hard and nodded. "Sure. Yeah. In a minute. You… You, you go ahead."

Her slow smile was making him dizzy. "Okay. Don't stay up too long." She walked to where he was and raised on her toes to kiss him softly. Dean's head spun as she kept her lips pressed against his, her hand on his bare chest. She lightly scraped her fingernails all the way down to his waist, and smiled at his growl against her lips. She pulled back and grinned at him. "Seriously, come to bed soon." She turned and walked back to the bedroom.

"Jesus," Dean muttered as he tried to catch his breath. He turned, hoping to distract himself.

There were more pictures of Piper with an older couple he had never met, presumably her parents. _What?_ Another of he and Piper, himself in a dress shirt and slacks and her in a smoking hot black dress. They were looking in the same direction, smiling at something, and the casual way he had his hand on her hip made something in Dean's chest hurt.

He looked at another picture, and all thought and emotion having to do with Piper stopped. He went into the bedroom and found a shirt, ignoring Piper's startled, "Dean? Dean, honey-"

He grabbed his keys and ran out the door.

 **xxxxx**

Dean sped the whole way. He knew he was being reckless, but he had to see her. When he got to their old home, he parked across the street. His stomach was doing flips.

He ran to the front door and started banging on it. He rang the doorbell twice. The light above the door turned on, then the door opened.

Mary Winchester squinted at her son. "Dean?"

He felt tears start to well up in his eyes. She was here, she was beautiful. "Mom?"

She looked concerned. It killed him. "What are you doing here? Are you all right?"

He was honest. "I don't know."

She sighed, smiling up at him. "Well... Come inside."

 **xxxxx**

The next day, after mowing his mom's lawn, Dean was sitting on the front step with a beer. He was thinking of calling Piper. There were pictures of them in the house, as smiling teenagers, and a bad one of them at what was presumably prom, with her in a horrible green dress and him in a horrible suit.

A dark sedan pulled up. Sam and Jessica stepped out.

Dean grinned and walked down to meet them. "I don't believe it."

As Jess got out of the car, he scooped her up into a hug. "Hmm…" she hummed.

"Jessica." Dean was reeling. Was everything actually fixed? Was everything okay?

"Agh! You're, uh... Good to see you, too, Dean. Okay, can't breathe, okay." He laughed and let her go, then turned to Sam.

"Sammy."

Sam gave him a tight smile. "Hey."

Dean couldn't stop grinning. "Look at you. You're with Jessica, it's... I don't believe it."

Another tight smile, and a quizzical look. "Yeah."

"Where'd you guys come from?"

Sam was outright staring at him now. "We just flew in from... Califor-"

Dean snapped his fingers. "California! Stanford, huh? Law school, I bet."

Sam sighed and motioned to the beer in Dean's hand. "I see you started off Mom's birthday with a bang, as usual."

Dean blinked. "Wait. Mom's birthday, that's, that's today?"

Sam rolled his eyes and shared a look with Jess."Yeah. Yeah, Dean. That's today. That's why we're here. Don't tell me you forgot."

 **xxxxx**

Dean parked in front of the apartment and hopped out of Baby. Curious, he went and unlocked her trunk, opening it to find a tire iron, some trash, and a shopping back that he had apparently forgotten was there. He didn't think he could have smiled anymore today. "Would you look at that, Baby. We're civilians."

When he looked up, there was a girl standing across the street. She was wearing a white shirt and a skirt. She didn't say anything or move, just looked at him. He started to walk toward her, wanting to know if she was okay. Suddenly, a car horn blared out, and he jumped back as an SUV almost hit him. When he looked for the girl again, she was gone.

Shaking his head, he walked up to the the apartment he shared with Piper. He fumbled for the keys for a moment, then unlocked the door. "Pipes?" he called, looking around.

She came padding into the living room in bare feet. She was holding her hair up with her hand, and had a lacy dress on that was loose at her shoulders. She smiled warmly. "Hey, handsome," she said as she raised up on her toes to kiss him again. When she dropped back down, concern filled her eyes. "Are you okay? Your mom called. Is she all right?"

Dean was still trying to deal with what she was wearing. "Um, yeah, yeah, just… Needed to go home, I guess."

She smiled in relief. "I get that. Hey!" she turned around. "Since you're here now, can you zip me up?"

Dean was floored again. Her pale, sleek back, blocked only by the shape of the dress she was in. Realizing that he could, he stepped forward and ran a hand down her back, leaning down to leave burning kisses on her neck. She moaned and leaned back, tilting her head to give him better access. He put his hands on her hips and pulled her tight to him.

She pulled away gently and laughed. "Dean! We don't have time, we might be late as is!" She looked over her shoulder flirtatiously. "Now zip me up and go get dressed, and maybe there's something in it for you later."

He groaned and caught her mouth again, running his tongue along her bottom lip, then lifted his head and grinned at her. "Whatever you say, kitten."

 **xxxxx**

They were all sitting at a round table in a lovely restaurant. Dean was staring at his plate, confused by how little of the fancy food was on the plate. "Wow, that… Looks awesome." Piper squeezed his thigh under the table.

"All right." Sam lifted his glass. "To Mom! Happy birthday!"

Everyone raised their glasses in a toast. Mary blushed and smiled. "Thank you."

Sam leaned over and kissed Jessica. Dean smiled.

Piper squeezed his thigh again and leaned close. "What do you say, after this we go home and I cook you some real food?"

"Oh, God, yes." She chuckled. "Piper, how did I end up with someone as cool as you?"

She grinned. "You got me young, before I had higher standards."

He laughed and kissed her.

Sam interrupted. "All right. Jess and I actually have another surprise for Mom's birthday. Ah... You wanna tell them?"

Jess blushed. "They're your family."

Sam smiled. "All right."

Mary looked between the two of them. "What? Tell me what?"

Sam held up Jessica's left hand to show the engagement ring on her finger. Mary laughed, and Piper squealed.

"Oh my God! That's so wonderful!" Mary beamed, getting up to hug Sam.

Piper stood, too, to hug Jessica. "Congratulations, Jess!"

"Thank you," Jessica said demurely, but her eyes were sparkling.

Dean watched his mother and his girlfriend switch places, Piper beaming up at Sam.

"Congratulations, Sammy," she said softly.

He smiled tightly. "Thanks, Piper." They hugged stiffly.

Mary was still beaming. "I just wish your dad was here."

Sam nodded. "Yeah. Me, too."

Mary turned. "Jessica, let me see that ring."

Dean stood and shook Sam's hand. "Congratulations, Sammy."

Sam let go of Dean's hand, "Thanks."

Dean kept his gaze. "I'm really glad you're happy."

Sam gave Dean a puzzled look, then turned back to the women oohing over Jess's ring.

Dean looked over Sam's shoulder, his smile fading as he saw the girl from earlier, in the white shirt. She was dirty now. Dean pushed past Sam and walked toward her. By the time he got there, a waiter moved past him, and when the waiter was gone, so was the girl.

Dean turned to see his family looking at him, concerned.

 **xxxxx**

Later that night, Dean was sitting on the sofa in his living room (he had a living room!), thinking about what Sam had said when they had dropped their Mom off. Piper walked in, wearing one of his shirts and a pair of panties, and handed him a beer.

"My favorite." He watched as she settled next to him, her back against the arm of the sofa and her legs stretching across his lap. "I guess you know me pretty well."

Piper smiled and nodded. "I'm afraid so." She searched his face. "Are you all right?"

He frowned. "Sammy and I... We don't get along."

She shrugged. "I just think he hasn't let go of the stuff you pulled in high school. It got rough there for a while."

"You two don't get along, either."

Another shrug. "I don't think he's really forgiven me for forgiving you. He doesn't understand."

"Hmm."

She leaned forward and ran her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. "For the record, he doesn't know what he's missing, keeping you out of his life."

"I can fix things with Sam. I can make it up to him. To everyone." He looked at her. "To you."

She leaned back and fixed him with a piercing stare. "All right, spill, Winchester. What has gotten into you lately?"

He leaned toward her. "This isn't gonna make a lick of sense to you. But I kind of feel like I've been given a second chance. And I don't wanna waste it."

She laughed, and Dean was entranced. "You're right, that doesn't make any sense-" He cut her off by pressing his lips to hers. They kissed for a heated moment, then he pulled away and pressed his forehead into hers. "You know, I get it now."

"Get what?"

"Why you're the one."

She gave him a slow smile that sent his blood on fire. "Whatever's gotten into you, I like it."

Their lips met again, and Dean put down his beer to put his hands on her, desperate to feel any part of her. Desperate to feel _Piper,_ who he had been wanting to feel for so long.

She groaned and pulled away, dropping her head back. He took the opportunity to press his lips to her neck. "Oh, don't do this to me now. I've gotta get ready for work."

She pushed him away gently and stood, walking back to their bedroom. "You've got to work now?" he asked, following her.

She looked back at him before she entered the bedroom. "I told you, I've got the night shift on Thursday."

He followed her into the bedroom. "You work nights at the, uh…" He saw her pull out a set of scrubs from the closet. "Hospital. You're a nurse. I'm dating a nurse. That is so… Respectable."

She chuckled and got dressed. Dean watched her, feeling possessiveness take hold in his heart. _Mine,_ he thought taking a sip of beer.

Life was finally good.

 **xxxxx**

 **A/N: Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural, or the characters (heartbroken).**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	11. There's One Way to Be Sure

After kissing Piper thoroughly before watching her walk out the door, Dean sat on the couch and put his feet on the table. He picked up the TV remote and turned it on. It was a cooking show.

"The olive oil must have a purpose here."

"Yeah."

"Yeah?"

"I'll take the olive oil and we'll just put a, just a touch of olive oil, okay? That's all."

"Oh."

"Can't make any mistakes with this machine. Now, for liquid, I could use water but I'm gonna use a little spinach-"

Dean flipped through channels. Stock market, cartoons, some sort of video. Then the news, with a pretty reporter speaking. "And today marks the anniversary of the crash of United Britannia Flight 424."

Dean sat up, feeling his stomach drop. "Indianapolis residents held a candlelight vigil in memory of the hundred and eight people who lost their lives…"

"No, no," he snapped, eyes not leaving the screen. "I stopped that crash."

Dean stood up and walked to the desk that held a laptop in the corner. He flipped it open and started looking up headlines.

INDIANAPOLIS SUN, DECEMBER 5TH, 2005 - FLIGHT 424 CRASHES, 108 DEAD

NINE CHILDREN COMATOSE

PARENTS MUTILATED IN BED

GIRL DROWNS IN HOTEL POOL

Dean felt nauseous. He had saved all those people. Sometimes just him and Sammy, more recently with Piper, too. He didn't understand. He went to lean his head back in frustration, and caught a glimpse of a passing figure walking down the hallway. Wishing he had his gun, he stood up to follow.

He walked into the bedroom and saw nothing. He opened the closet door, and jumped back when he saw several women, dead, hanging in the closet.

A sound behind him had him whipping around to see yet another woman, with a head wound, flicking in and out in front of him.

His chest heaving, Dean turned back around to the closet… The empty closet.

 **xxxxx**

Dean stood in front of his father's grave. He had come for… Closure? He wasn't sure what. He contemplated his father's gravestone.

JOHN E. WINCHESTER

1954-2006

LOVING HUSBAND & FATHER

REMEMBERED FOREVER

"All of them," he started, voice ragged, "Everyone that you saved, everyone Sammy and I saved. They're all dead. And there's this woman, that's haunting me. I don't know why. I don't know what the connection is, not yet anyway. It's like my old life is, is coming after me or something. Like it, like it doesn't want me to be happy. 'Course I know what you'd say. Well, not the you that played softball, but... 'So go hunt the djinn. It put you here, it can put you back. Your happiness for all those people's lives, no contest. Right?'" Dean paused, trying to collect himself. "But why? Why is it my job to save these people? Why do I have to be some kind of hero?" He felt a tear slide down his cheek. So much for collecting himself. "What about us, huh? What, Mom's not supposed to live her life, Sammy's not supposed to get married? I'm not…" He wasn't sure he could say it. "I'm not supposed to be with Piper? Why do we have to sacrifice everything, Dad?" He stopped again, not sure what good this was doing. "It's…" There was silence, then thunder rumbled in the distance. "Yeah…"

He turned and made his way back to Baby, sure of what he had to do.

Even if he hated it.

 **xxxxx**

Dean was rifling through his mother's china cabinet, feeling guilty. He had only a second's warning to turn around and disarm Sam. Sam's lack of training for the situation caught Dean off guard.

Dean chuckled. "That was so easy, I'm embarrassed for you."

Sam wasn't deterred. "Dean? What the hell are you doing here?"

Dean got up, and watched warily as Sam got up, too. "I was looking for a beer."

Sam looked at him incredulously "In the china cabinet?"

Sam turned on the light, and Dean shut his eyes and leaned his head back, knowing that Sam was seeing the cabinet open, and the box on the floor with the lid off.

"That's Mom's silver."

Dean sighed. "Sam."

"What, you... You broke into the house... To steal Mom's silver?"

Dean opened his eyes and looked at his younger brother. "It's not what it looks like, okay? I didn't have a choice."

Sam, starting to get angry, scoffed. "Oh, really? Why? What's so damn important you gotta steal from your own mother?"

Dean cocked an eyebrow, thinking quickly. "You want the truth?"

"Yeah, yeah I do."

Dean shrugged. "I owe somebody money."

Sam was shocked. "Who?"

"A bookie. I lost big on a game, I gotta bring him the cash tonight."

"I can't believe we're even related." Sam ran a hand through his hair. "How could you do this to Mom? Hell, how could you do this to Piper? If you knew the things she said to me when we talked about you-"

Dean couldn't take it. "Sam, I'm sorry."

Sam huffed. "Yeah."

Dean leaned down and pulled a knife from the box. "I'm sorry that we don't get along. I'm sorry that it somehow came between you and Pipes. And I wish to hell I could stay and fix it. But I gotta do this. People's lives depend on it."

Sam's eyes widened. "What are you talking about, Dean?"

"Nothing. Forget it. Just uh... Hey, tell Mom I love her. And…" He swallowed. "And Piper, tell Piper I love her, too."

Sam wasn't an idiot. Dean could tell he knew something was wrong. "Dean."

Dean turned around. "I'll see you, Sammy." He walked out the door and shut it behind him.

He walked across the street to the Impala, got in, and shut the door. He leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling, thinking.

He turned the key and listed to Baby's engine start. Suddenly, the passenger door opened and Sam got in.

Dean frowned. "Get out of the car."

"I'm going with you." Sam looked resolute.

Dean shook his head. "You're just gonna slow me down."

"Tough."

"This is dangerous and you could get hurt."

"Yeah, and so could you, Dean."

Dean sighed. "Sam-"

Sam glared at him. "Look, whatever stupid thing you're about to do, you're not doing it alone. And that's that."

"I don't understand. Why you doing this?"

"Because you're still my brother."

Dean grinned. "Bitch."

Sam looked shocked. "What are you calling me a bitch for?"

"You're supposed to say jerk."

"What?"

Dean shook his head. "Never mind." He put the Impala in gear, and they drove away.

 **xxxxx**

They drove toward the abandoned building. Dean was tense, almost sick to his stomach. He didn't want to do this. He wanted to drop Sam off, go home, and wait for Piper to get back. He wanted to surprise her with breakfast, and champagne, and then taste and touch every part of her to show her what she meant to him. He wanted to make up for all the shitty things he'd done to her, once he found out what they were.

He wanted to work at a garage. He wanted to help people by getting their cars running. He wanted to come home to Piper at night, and on one or two nights a week, go over to his mom's house. His living, breathing mom, who loved him and loved Piper. And Sam and Jess could visit, and they'd all go out to dinner. And he would propose to Piper, make her Mrs. Piper Winchester. Soon, God, so soon. And...

Dean closed his eyes to keep the thoughts from piling on further. He shined the flashlight at Sam, who had been asleep. Sam startled awake. "Where are we?"

Dean gave a forced chuckle. "Well, we're not in Kansas anymore." Sam didn't smile, and Dean rolled his eyes. "Illinois."

Sam looked warily at the warehouse. "And you think something's in there?"

Dean looked at the building, too. "I know it is."

They crept into the building, Dean holding the flashlight, Sam walking nervously behind him. "See? There's nothing here, Dean."

Dean ignored him and turned down the hallway where he had been attacked the first time, Sam sticking close. "Look, Piper has got to be worried sick about you. Come on, let's… Let's just go."

A noise echoed through the room. Dean elbowed Sam in the gut. "Sh!"

Sam had heard the sound, too. "What the hell is that?" he whispered furiously.

"Stay behind me and keep your mouth shut."

Dean looked into the room they were walking into, to see bodies hanging. The ones from the closet. "Shit."

There was a drained blood bag hanging next to one of the bodies. Sam was horrified. "What the hell?"

Dean looked around and saw the woman he had been seeing. There was a blood bag hanging next to her, too. This one was full. He was in shock. "It's her."

Sam examined the woman. She began to whimper, her eyes flicking open.

"Dean, what's going on?"

Dean grabbed him and dragged him behind a shelving unit. "Come on!"

The brothers watched as the djinn came into the room. It walked up and stood in front of the woman. She started to cry weakly. "Where's my dad? I won't tell… No, don't."

The djinn touched her face. "Sleep." Blue light glowed where it had touched the woman's face. "Sleep… Sleep."

Her head fell forward and she relaxed. The djinn leaned against her, touching her right arm breathing heavily. He reached for the blood bag, pulled out one of the tubes, and started drinking deeply.

Sam gagged. Dean could have killed him as he pushed him silently away. The djinn had heard, and when he came to look where the men had been, they were gone.

The djinn turned around warily. He began walking up the steps that Dean and Sam were hiding under. Neither took so much as a breath until they heard a door shut further away. Sam was gasping. "This is real? You're not crazy?"

Dean was ignoring him. "She didn't know where she was. She thought she was with her father." He approached the woman, hearing Sam come up behind him. "What if that's what the djinn does? It doesn't grant you a wish, it just makes you think it has."

"Look, man. That thing could come back, all right?" Sam said nervously.

Dean suddenly saw himself, pale, hung up by his wrists like the woman was, a blood bag hanging next to him. He started to hyperventilate.

"Dean, please."

"What if I'm like her?" Dean gasped. "What if I'm tied up in here some place? What if all this is in my head? I mean it could, you know, maybe it gives us some kind of supernatural acid, and then just feeds on us slow."

Sam was shaking his head. "No. Dean, that doesn't make sense. OK?"

Dean was staring at the woman, horrified. "What if that's why she keeps appearing to me? She's not a spirit. It's, it's like more and more like I'm catching flashes of reality. You know, like I'm in here somewhere, and I'm, I'm catatonic, and I'm taking all this stuff in but I, but I can't snap out of it."

Sam was trying to placate him. "Yeah, OK, look. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're right. I was wrong. You're not crazy but we, we, we need to get out of here. Fast."

He grabbed Dean's arm and began to pull him toward the exit. Dean yanked his arm away and backed away from Sam. Sam turned around and held his arms out to the side. "What?"

Dean was starting to get mad. "I don't think you're real."

Sam grabbed Dean by the arm again. "Dude, you feel that? You feel this? I'm real. This is not an acid trip. I'm real, and that thing is gonna come down here and kill us for real. Now, please-"

Dean pulled out the silver knife. He knew what he had to do, and he ignored the screaming pain in his chest. "There's one way to be sure."

Sam let go of him and backed up. "Woah, woah, woah. What are you doing?"

Dean was trying to gather his courage. "It's an old wives' tale. If you're about to die in a dream, you wake up."

Sam paled. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no. That's crazy. All right?"

"Maybe."

Sam started approaching Dean slowly. "You're gonna kill yourself-"

"Or I'm gonna wake up. One or the other."

Sam held his hands up. "Okay, this isn't a dream, all right. I'm here, with you, now. And you're

about to kill yourself, Dean."

Dean shook his head. "No, I'm pretty sure. Like, 90% sure. But I'm sure enough." He turned the knife in his hands, ready to thrust it into his belly.

"Wait!" Sam bellowed.

Dean turned and saw his mother walking toward him, in the nightgown she'd been wearing when he first saw her. Piper was behind her.

Sam looked sad. "Why'd you have to keep digging? Why couldn't you have left well enough alone?" Dean looked to see that Jessica had joined them. "You were happy."

His mother stood in front of him. "Put the knife down, honey."

Dean felt tears start to gather in his eyes. "You're not real. None of it is."

"It doesn't matter. It's still better than anything you had."

"What?"

"It's everything you want. We're a family again. Let's go home."

Dean shook his head. "I'll die." His voice broke. "The djinn'll... Drain the life out of me in a couple of days."

Mary was shaking her head in return. "But in here, with us, it'll feel like years. Like a lifetime."

Dean looked at Sam, who nodded. "I promise," Mary said as she took his chin in her hand, forcing him to look down at her. "No more pain. Or fear. Just love and comfort. And safety. Dean, stay with us." She was stroking his cheek, and he leaned into her hand. "Get some rest."

"You don't have to worry about Sam anymore." Dean looked over to Jess. "You get to watch him live a full life."

Mary stepped away, and Piper walked to him. She took his face into her hands, pressing her lips against his. He couldn't help himself, he kissed her back until she pulled away. "We can have a future together." Her beautiful hazel eyes were begging him. "Have our own family. I _love_ you, Dean. Please."

Sam walked up behind her. "Why is it our job to save everyone? Haven't we done enough? I'm begging you. Give me the knife."

Dean looked at his mother, Sam, and Jess, saving Piper for last. He memorized her face, and released the knife with one hand. He placed it behind her head and pulled her in for another deep, long kiss. He then looked up at his family with tears in his eyes. He released Piper and backed away, making eye contact with Sam. He whispered, "I'm sorry," and drove the knife into himself.

Piper and Sam rushed to him, calling his name. "Dean! Dean!"

Piper was stroking his face, panic on hers. He realized that he was hanging from his wrists, the blood bag hanging next to him.

"Oh, God." Piper was motioning to Sam to pull the tube out of Dean's throat. "Come on, Dean, wake up, come on, wake up, God dammit!"

Dean managed to make his gaze focus on Piper. She smiled, tearing up. "Hey, hey, oh, thank God."

"Ah, Auntie Em. There's no place like home."

Sam chuckled. "Thank God. I thought we lost you for a second." He pulled the tube out of Dean's neck.

Speaking was taking up a lot of energy. "You almost did."

"Oh, God." Piper's chest was heaving as she moved to support the majority of Dean's weight.

"Let's get him down, Sam."

Sam reached up to start cutting through the rope. Dean turned to see two bright blue eyes next to him. "Sam!"

Piper whipped her head around as the djinn knocked the knife out of Sam's hands. Dean started to pull at the ropes Sam had started to cut through, but paused as Piper grabbed the knife and slammed it through the djinn's back. Her breathing was ragged and the tears spilled down her cheeks as she hurried back to lift Dean as Sam finished cutting through his ropes.

When he was done, Sam took Dean's weight so Piper could check the girl's pulse.

"She's alive!" She pulled the tube out of her neck and held her hand out for the knife from Sam. When he handed it to her, she wrapped her arm around the other girl's waist and cut the ropes with a few short jerks. The girl fell onto Piper, her arms wrapped around the standing woman's neck. "I gotcha," Piper murmured soothingly as she tucked the knife into her back pocket. "I gotcha, we're gonna get you out of here, okay?"

 **xxxxx**

Piper was sitting on a cot in the motel room they had gotten for the night. She insisted the brothers have the beds, and had ordered a cot without brooking any argument. Dean was sitting on the edge of one of the beds, looking away from her. He hadn't looked at her since he had woken up in the djinn's hideout.

He had told them about the perfect life he had seen. She hadn't been in it, which had hurt. When Sam asked about her, Dean had shrugged and without looking at her said, "Probably because in a perfect life, you wouldn't be around, Pipes. You'd be off somewhere, living normal. Just like us."

Sam was on the phone with the hospital. "OK, uh, thank you so much for the update. OK, bye."

He hung up and looked at both of them. "That was the hospital. Girl's been stabilized. Good chance she's gonna pull through."

Dean nodded. "That's good."

"Yeah." Sam paused and looked at Piper, who looked at the floor. "How 'bout you? You all right?"

Dean cleared his throat. "Yeah, I'm all right. You should have seen it, Sam. Our lives. You were such a wussy."

Sam laughed. "So we didn't get along then, huh?"

Dean shook his head. "Nah."

"I thought it was supposed to be a perfect fantasy," Piper said quietly.

Dean shook his head, still not looking at her. "It wasn't. It was just a wish. I wished... For Mom to live. That Mom never died, we never went hunting and you and me, Sammy, we just never uh... You know."

Sam gave up. "Yeah. Well, I'm glad we do. And I'm glad you dug yourself out, Dean. Most people wouldn't've had the strength, would have just stayed."

Dean scoffed. "Yeah... Lucky me. I gotta tell you though, man. You know, you had Jess. Mom was gonna have grandkids, I had… Uh, you know, you guys."

Piper felt the words stab into her. _You're being selfish, just be glad he's alive,_ she thought to herself bitterly. She stood up, grabbed her bag, and walked into the bathroom. It had been a long day, she wanted a shower and her cot.

She heard Sam say quietly, "Yeah, but... Dean... It wasn't real."

"I know. But I wanted to stay. I wanted to stay so bad. I mean, ever since Dad... all I, all I can think about is how much this job's cost us." There was a pause. "We've lost so much. We've... sacrificed so much."

"But people are alive because of you." Dean scoffed. "It's worth it, Dean. It is. It's not fair, and… You know, it hurts like hell, but… It's worth it."

Piper shut the door and leaned against it, closing her eyes.

 **xxxxx**

 **A/N: Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural, or the characters (heartbroken).**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 ****Special thanks to _DaphneSyltherinWinchester_ for the favorite!**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	12. Haven't You Messed This Up Enough?

"Come take a walk with me, Pipe." Sam insisted, standing in the doorway of her bedroom.

Piper sighed. She was laying on her back in her bed, and she had been expecting this. They had come back to Bobby's after Dean had been captured by the djinn, all of them unsure of what to do. Dean still wouldn't look at Piper, but he had started speaking to her again in short sentences. Piper had started not looking at him, either, and pretending that he wasn't there most of the time.

It made her life easier.

But she did feel bad for Sam. Poor Sam, who didn't know what to do about all the tension. Piper didn't know what to do with it, either. _I mean, I don't even know what happened_. Her fear was that in his vision of a perfect life, because she hadn't been in it, Dean didn't want her around anymore. Which didn't matter a lick to her, she was sticking with them whether he wanted her there or not.

It was hard because she thought they had had a _moment_ on the ferris wheel. She had felt his heart racing, and her breath had quickened at the look in his eyes, a look that she had thought was desire. She had been sure. And apparently, she had been wrong.

But, no matter how unfair it was to Sam, she was doing just fine ignoring the problem. She didn't want to talk about it. "I'm good, Sam."

He stepped into her room and started looking for her boots. "Come on, Finley, we're going." He found one.

Piper didn't move except to glare at him. "Sam, I'm-"

He threw both boots at her. "Piper. You're not the only one who can drag people kicking and screaming to places they don't want to go. And I'm at least a foot and a half taller than you, so it wouldn't even be a big deal. Let's go."

Piper groaned, but with an inner smile. She and Sam hadn't been just the two of them for quite a while. And she could admit to herself that when it was all three of them, she tended to be more focused on Dean. It would be nice to connect with her best friend again.

 **xxxxx**

Piper was laughing more than she had in weeks. "Oh, my God, Dean Winchester, scared of flying." She sank down onto the fallen tree next to her and wiped her eyes. "Oh, God, Sam, how did you even keep it together?"

He was grinning at her. He missed laughing with Piper, and talking about nonsense. He was filled with urgency to find the yellow-eyed demon, but this was important, too. Piper was his best friend, and now could probably be called his only friend, and he wanted her to be okay. He hadn't shared his suspicion with her, but he thought Dean was lying about the vision the djinn had showed him. Sam suspected that Piper had played a big role in that vision.

But he wasn't going to bring that up. She was laughing and smiling, and he hadn't seen it in weeks. "It wasn't easy, but the demon did help."

She was still chuckling. "Oh, jeeze, that would be the only thing that would do it." She stood again, smiling up at him. "Let's go, Gigantor."

"Rude," he scoffed, walking beside her as they started down the path again.

Sam had found this path years ago with Piper, on the very back of what was technically Bobby's property. Piper had said then that she wasn't sure anyone could own anything this beautiful, and Sam had privately agreed.

She stopped at the top of a little hill, looking around quietly. She looked small, and lost. Sam stood next to her and slipped his hand into hers, their fingers intertwining.

She sighed and squeezed his hand. "Sam, this is all so messed up."

He nodded. "I mean," she continued, "Everything. You having visions, John making a deal, us trying to find this damn demon and just gank the bastard." She shook her head and looked up at him. "Do you know what most people our age are doing?"

Sam smiled. "College," he said wistfully.

She nodded. "College, jobs, getting married. Sam, this is…"

"It's crazy, I know." Sam chuckled. "Trust me, I know."

She leaned her head against his arm, and he let go of her hand to wrap an arm around her shoulders. Now was as good a time as any. "Piper, about Dean."

She shook her head, but didn't move away. "No, Sam. Just… No. I'm not talking about him."

He squeezed her. "Okay, then, just shut it and listen." He paused, gathering his thoughts. He couldn't help but think that this conversation was very important. "Look, Pipe, Dean has lost a lot because of this job. It's made it so he won't let anyone… In. He won't let anyone in, because losing more people might be too much." Sam leaned down to kiss the top of her hair. "Try not to take it personally, Pipe. I'm sure he'll come around one of these days."

Piper was silent for a long time. Sam let her think. She was usually a very careful person, considering every angle of a problem before she acted. This was the same thing, so he just felt the sun soaking into him and kept his arm around her.

"You know, Sammy, I don't give you enough credit for what you see," she said quietly.

He grinned. "No one does. I think it's the height. No one thinks I can hear them."

She chuckled, and Sam heard the emotion she was holding back in it. "Oh, Sam. I'll... I'll try."

 **xxxxx**

When they got back, Dean was in the kitchen, drinking. Sam saw him look up at them, but ignored his big brother to usher Piper into the living room.

"I can't believe you got me to agree to this," she groaned as he pushed her down onto the couch and went to the entertainment center.

"Shut up, Finley, this movie is perfection."

"It's like three hours long, Sam!" she cried out from the couch, but she didn't move, and she was smiling again. Sam wanted to watch the first Lord of the Rings movie, and she had begrudgingly agreed. He thought it would be another good distraction for her, and she might get some peaceful sleep.

An hour later, Sam was watching the movie by himself. He was laying on his left side on the couch, and Piper was curled up in front of him, his arm slung around her middle. He had pulled the blanket down from the back of the couch and wrapped her in it as soon as she had gotten sleepy.

She sighed in her sleep and cuddled closer to him. Sam smiled. It made him think of when they were younger. Piper had had nightmares the first few weeks she was with them. He had heard her one night, and not knowing what else to do, crawled into bed next to her. He had comforted her through the night, and after that, John had found them sleeping in the one another's bed more often than not.

It was as platonic as could be, but when Dean came in from the kitchen, Sam caught his jealous glare. Sam felt the anger he had been squashing rise to the surface and glared back. "What?" he whispered.

Dean shrugged. He was a little drunk. "Just didn't know this was so cozy."

Sam tightened his arm and pulled Piper closer. "Dean, lower your voice. And you know that Piper and I are friends. She's had a rough couple of days," he gave Dean a pointed look, "and she hasn't been sleeping well."

"And Sammy was there to save the day, huh?" Dean snapped, not whispering. "All because big bad Dean hurt her feelings." He was sneering.

Sam let it roll off his back, and pulled Piper's face closer so he could press his palm against her ear. "Dean," his voice held a low warning, enough to make Dean look him in the eye and straighten up a little. "Either shut up and go to bed, or shut up and sit down and watch the damn movie." He paused, and unable to help himself, muttered through clenched teeth, "Haven't you messed this up enough?"

 **xxxxx**

Dean brooded as the credits rolled. He looked over at Sam and Piper, both asleep, his face buried in her lavender hair, snoring lightly. He still felt jealousy burning in his heart, but it was now accompanied by shame.

Sam had been right. He had messed up, but he didn't think he could look at her. Not after hearing his name on her lips, not after being able to hold her, touch her whenever he wanted.

 _Well, not when she's awake,_ he thought, surveying her as she slept. He knew he was being an ass, and kind of creepy, but he couldn't help it. He didn't know if he could stand seeing her without the love she'd had in her eyes in his vision. He knew that had been a dream, he knew that it had all come from his mind, but he couldn't seem to help it. He didn't want her to see how much it hurt him to see her and not touch her.

At that moment, Sam turned, and Piper ungracefully thumped to the floor. Dean stifled a chuckle as Sam rolled over, seemingly unaware he had pushed her off of the couch. He stood up to look at her and had to stop himself from laughing out loud when he saw she had curled up in the blanket she was wrapped in and was still sleeping soundly. "You two were always the heavy sleepers," he whispered softly.

He considered for a moment, then decided it couldn't be helped. He knelt and carefully pulled Piper into his arms, with her legs dangling off of his left arm and her head resting on his chest. "Time for bed, kitten."

He walked her up the stairs and finagled his way into her room. He looked around as he walked her to her bed. It was small and tidy, with posters and pictures covering the walls. As he lay her on her bed, his eye was caught by a frame on her bedside table. He sat on her bed next to her to examine them.

It held four photos. The first one was of Piper and her parents, they appeared to be sitting at a dining room table. Her father was quite a bit older, with gray hair that was thinning at the temples. Her mother was an older version of Piper, with dark brown hair that spilled over her shoulder in a way her daughter's hair would imitate years later. Piper was in the middle, a skinny teenager with wide, happy eyes and a big smile.

The second photo was of Piper and Bobby, standing outside the house. She was leaning against her Jeep, which he had given to her as an eighteenth birthday gift. He was ruffling her hair, and she was laughing, and she had been caught in the act of throwing herself into his arms.

The third photo was a picture of Dean and Sam, he was surprised to see. They were sitting at Bobby's kitchen table, and Dean was turned to look at something behind them. They were laughing. _That wasn't too long ago,_ he thought, looking at the length of Sammy's hair.

The fourth made his breath catch a little. It was a picture of he and Piper. They were looking at one another, their mouths tilted up at the ends in the beginnings of smiles. They were leaned against Baby, standing close. The wind was blowing her hair, which was still auburn in the picture, into her face. Her arms were crossed, his were in his pockets.

He was still examining those pictures when Piper shifted in her sleep, muttering softly. He looked at her for a second, then raised a shaking hand to smooth her hair away from her face. "You fell off the couch, Pipes," he whispered to her. "I just brought you to bed."

She nodded sleepily, keeping her eyes closed. "'Kay, Dean."

He should leave. He knew he should leave. "I'm so sorry, kitten, I've been an ass," he whispered instead.

She rolled toward him, cracking an eye open and looking at him. "Mhm."

He smiled, his hand still on the side of her face. "I'll do better."

Her eye drifted close and the ghost of a smile touched her face. "No, you won't, but that's okay. It doesn't matter, I'll stay with you." She fell back into slumber.

Dean stayed where he was, fighting with his emotions. _No more drinking before talking to Piper._

Once he felt like he had a handle on himself, he leaned over and pressed a kiss into Piper's forehead. "'Night, kitten."

 **xxxxx**

 **A/N: Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural, or the characters (heartbroken).**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	13. Then Let It End

Piper was dozing in the backseat of Baby when they came to a halt in front of a diner. She blinked and looked around, listening to Dean and Sam.

"Hey, don't forget the extra onions this time, huh?" Dean said as he handed Sam some money.

Sam scoffed and glanced back at Piper. "Dude, we're the ones who are gonna have to ride in the car with your extra onions." Piper laughed and Dean grinned.

Sam got out of the car, and before he could shut the door, Dean leaned toward him. "Hey, see if they've got any pie." Sam shut the door. Frowning, Dean shouted, "Bring me some pie!"

They watched Sam walk into the diner, comfortably silent. Things had gotten easier between them since Dean had taken Piper to bed after the movie. She was glad, he was one of her closest friends, she couldn't stand the distance between them.

The radio, which had been wailing Boston, became staticky. Dean reached down and fiddled with it. "What the hell?" The radio turned completely off.

Piper looked up at the diner, which was empty. She couldn't see Sam. "Hey."

He looked up as Piper was getting out of the Impala. She pulled her gun out of her jacket pocket and ran toward the diner, hearing Dean following her quickly behind.

Inside the diner, a customer was at a booth, face-down in a puddle of blood. The base of Piper's spine felt like a brick of ice. "Sam?"

Dean joined her in shouting as he walked around the bar to find the waiter, also dead, with his throat slit. "Sam?!"

Piper noticed a smear on the doorway. She sniffed it. "Hey, sulfur."

Dean started to panic. "Sam! Sammy!"

 **xxxxx**

Piper was tense, fraying at the edges. She was trying to keep it together for Dean, whose panic was showing through.

They were standing on the side of the highway where Bobby had met them. They were poring over a map. Bobby was moving his hand across the map. "This is it. All demonic signs and omens over the past month."

Dean glared at him. "Are you joking? There's nothing here."

Bobby shrugged. "Exactly."

Dean ran his hands through his hair, breathing hard. "Well, come on, there's gotta be something. What about the, the, the normal, low-level stuff? You know, exorcisms, that kind of thing."

Piper put her hand on the small of Dean's back. "Come on, Dean, he's trying to help."

Bobby nodded. "That's what I'm telling you. There's nothing. It's completely quiet,"

Dean glared again, but didn't move away from Piper. "Well, how are we supposed to look for Sam? What, do we just close our eyes and point?"

Piper jumped as Dean's phone rang. The caller ID said it was Ash. He flipped it open. "Ash, what do you got? Hang on, let me put you on speaker." He did so, then held the phone between the three of them.

"Okay, listen, it's a big negatory on Sam-"

"Oh, come on, man!" Dean's panic was clear. Piper started rubbing small circles into his back. "You've gotta give us something. We're looking at a three thousand-mile haystack here."

Ash was more serious than Piper had ever heard him be. "Listen, Dean. I did find something."

"Well, what?"

"I can't talk over this line, Dean."

Dean threw his hands up in frustration, almost hitting Piper in the face. "Come on, I don't have time for this!"

"Make time, okay?" Ash snapped. "Because this-"

"What's up? What's going on?" Piper asked. Dean was starting to get to her.

"Not only does this almost definitely help you find your brother, this is… Ah, it's huge. So get here. Now." Ash hung up the phone.

Dean groaned in frustration as he flipped his phone shut. "I guess we're going to the Roadhouse." He looked at Piper and Bobby. "Come on," he snapped as he moved to the Impala.

Piper followed silently. Normally it upset her when Dean barked orders, but she understood that he needed that control. She would give it to him, if she could.

 **xxxxx**

They pulled up to the smoking remains of the roadhouse. Piper launched herself out of the backseat before the car stopped, coming to a halt right before she would have been stepping in ashes. Dean followed her, watching her sink to her knees in grief, a low moan emitting from her throat.

They came to stand next to her. Dean placed a hand on the back of her head, and she leaned against his leg. "Oh, no…" she whispered through the hands that were covering her mouth.

"What the hell?" Dean muttered.

"Oh, my God." Bobby was surveying the damage.

Dean didn't have time to grieve. He was upset, he was devastated, but he needed to find Sam. "You see Ellen?"

Bobby shook his head, also switching to business mode. "No, no Ash, either."

"Oh, God, Dean…" Piper stood up and moved toward a pile of rubble. She pointed to what was clearly Ash's watch. Piper ran a few steps away from the burnt building and vomited.

Dean watched, upset and upset for her. "Oh, Ash, damn it!"

Piper joined them again, leaning against Bobby. "This is…"

Dean was starting to get mad, and he gave into the feeling. Anger was easier Anger he knew.

"What the hell did Ash know? We've got no way of knowing where Ellen is. Or if she's even alive. We've got no clue what Ash was gonna tell us. Now, how the hell are we gonna find Sam?"

Piper stood up and went to slip her hand into his, giving it a comforting squeeze. "We'll find him."

Pain shot through Dean's head. "Oh, God, Dean?" he heard Piper call as he doubled over in pain. His vision faded and came back on an old fashioned iron bell, then that faded too and he was looking at Piper's panicked face. "Dean?"

Bobby was standing next to them. "What was that?"

"I don't know. A headache?"

Bobby cocked an eyebrow. "You get headaches like that a lot?"

Dean shook his head, taking Piper's hand again. "No. Must be the stress. I could have sworn I saw something."

Piper's brow creased. "What do you mean? Like a vision? Like what Sam gets?"

Dean glared at her. What was she thinking? "What? No!" Her eyes stayed on him. He started to get mad at her again. "Come on, I'm not some psychic."

He heard himself cry out as the pain shot through his head again. He also heard Piper and Bobby calling out to him as he fell to his knees. His vision faded again, and he saw Sam in a dark, muddy town, then his vision came back.

Piper was touching his face. "Dean? Dean! Are you with me?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I think so. I saw Sam." He looked at them. "I saw him."

Bobby was kneeling next to them. "It was a vision."

He nodded. He was getting scared, which made him angrier. "Yeah. I don't know how, but yeah. Whew. That was about as fun as getting kicked in the jewels."

Piper was silent, watching his face and wringing her hands as Bobby questioned him. "What else did you see?"

"Uh… There was a bell."

"What kind of bell?"

Dean tried to concentrate. "Like a big bell with some kind of engraving on it, I don't know."

"Engraving?"

Dean nodded as he started to get up. "Yeah."

"Was it a tree? Like an oak tree?"

Dean nodded and leaned on Piper a little, his arm around her shoulders, her arm snaked around his waist. "Yeah, exactly."

Bobby paled. "I know where Sam is."

 **xxxxx**

They were pulling up to the woods that Bobby had directed them to. "Look like the rest of the way is on foot," Bobby said nervously.

Dean got out and opened the trunk, pulling out guns to hand to Bobby and Piper. "Let's go."

Piper was starting to all-out panic. Her whole back felt like ice. "Guys, we need to hurry. Run," she said as she started running in the direction of the town.

 **xxxxx**

Dean was shouting, time was moving in a blur as Piper ran. "Sam!"

They turned the corner to see Sam, and relief flooded through Piper. He was clutching his arm and stumbling, but he was alive and walking toward them. "Dean!"

Piper saw movement behind Sam and screamed. "Sam! Look out!"

The man behind Sam ran the knife through him. Sam started gasping, falling to his knees.

"No!" Dean's scream tore through Piper's heart as she ran, changing course to follow the man who had stabbed her best friend.

Dean slid to the ground in front of Sam, grabbing him as he started to fall forward. "Sam, come on, hey," Piper heard as she sprinted past them, shooting toward the fleeing man. She knew she wasn't going to get a good shot, she was moving too much, but she couldn't seem to stop pulling the trigger.

When he disappeared into the woods, she turned and almost ran into Bobby, who had followed. They both hurried back to the brothers sitting in the rain. Piper's heart stopped when she saw Dean's hand covered in blood. "Hey, look at me. It's not even that bad. It's not even that bad, all right? Sammy? Sam!"

Sam's gaze was losing focus, and he was slumping. "Hey, listen to me," Dean said desperately. Piper felt her tears start to fall silently. "We're gonna patch you up, okay? You'll be good as new. Huh? I'm gonna take care of you. I'm gonna take you care of you. I've got you. That's my job, right? Watch out for my pain-in-the-ass little brother?" Dean's voice was cracking, and Piper let out a sob. "Sam? Sam! Sam! Sammy!"

Sam's eyes shut, and he fell forward limply. "No. No, no, no, no, no, no," Dean was chanting over and over, shaking Sam.

"Oh, God. Oh, God," Piper whispered as Dean shouted again into his brother's face.

"Sam!"

 **xxxxx**

Dean was sitting in a chair next to the bed where Sam's body was. Piper sat against his shins, her arms wrapped around her knees. Dean's big hand was running along the back of her head, in what she assumed was an attempt to give comfort. It wasn't working.

It had been two days. Dean had hardly moved, and Piper refused to leave him alone here with Sam. They hadn't eaten very much, only what Piper had forced him to eat. He had been steadily drinking, offering it to Piper every so often. She accepted each time. It wasn't a time to be sober.

The door opened, but neither of them moved. Bobby came in. "Dean? Piper? Brought you guys some food."

"No, thanks. We're fine." Dean spoke for both of them. Piper hadn't found it in her to speak yet.

Her eyes hadn't left Sam since Dean had laid his body there. She was willing to let Dean take the lead as they grieved.

He couldn't be dead, he just couldn't. Piper was struggling to grasp that Sam would never smile again, never call her, "Pipe," never wrap his arm around her shoulders. How could that be true?

How could this be happening? She couldn't even imagine what Dean was going through. She sighed and settled more firmly against his shins.

"You should eat something." Bobby said gruffly.

"I said we're fine." Piper felt Dean's hand tighten at the back of her head. She heard the whiskey splash in the bottle, then he leaned down and offered it to her. She accepted and took a swig of her own.

There was a silence. Bobby was nervous. "Dean… Piper... I hate to bring this up, I really do. But don't you think maybe it's time... We bury Sam?"

Piper tensed, tears pricking her eyes. "No." Dean said with finality.

Bobby sighed. "We could… Maybe…"

Dean was deadly calm. "What? Torch his corpse? Not yet."

"I want you guys to come with me."

"We're not going anywhere."

Bobby seemed to realize that Piper wasn't going to speak. "Dean, please."

She felt Dean tense. She sat forward until she wasn't touching his shins anymore. She felt cold at the loss.

"Would you cut me some slack?" Dean snapped.

"I just… I don't think you guys should be alone, that's all. I gotta admit, I could use your help."

Dean snorted.

"Something big is going on. End of the world big."

Dean stood. "Well then let it end!" he bellowed. Piper flinched, but didn't make a sound.

She understood. If Sam wasn't in the world, what was the point? He was the best thing about the world. His laughter, his willingness to smile with her, his ability to make her feel important. There was nothing good in the world without Sam. So go ahead and let it end.

Bobby, however, was shocked. "You don't mean that."

Dean walked away. Piper turned and stood as she watched Dean get into Bobby's face. "You don't think so? Huh? You don't think I've given enough? You don't think I've paid enough? I'm done with it. All of it. And if you know what's good for you, you'd turn around, and get the hell out of here."

Bobby stood there, shaking his head. Sensing the dangerous air about Dean, Piper came and stood next to him, putting her hand on his chest. "Dean, stop it," she said quietly. It was the first thing she had said in two days, and her voice rasped.

Dean looked down at her, breathing hard. Then, to Bobby, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Please, just go."

Bobby turned around and sighed. "You know where I'll be, kids."

Dean returned to his seat. Piper moved to sit in front of him, but stopped as he placed his hand on her hip. He slowly pulled her into his lap, her legs resting across his. She settled without saying a word, putting her arm around his shoulders and resting her head against his. She leaned forward and grabbed the bottle of whiskey.

It seemed incredible to her, but Piper was dozing. She had moved back down to her original seat so she could rest her head back on his knees. His hands were still running through her hair as he started to speak.

"You know, when we were little, and you couldn't been more than five," Piper realized he was speaking to Sam. "You just started asking questions. How come we didn't have a mom? Why do we always have to move around? Where'd Dad go when he'd take off for days at a time? I remember I begged you, 'Quit asking, Sammy. Man, you don't want to know.'" He paused, trying to control his emotions. Piper shifted and turned around, resting a hand on his knee.

He didn't look at her. "I just wanted you to be a kid... Just for a little while longer. I always tried to protect you... Keep you safe... Dad didn't even have to tell me. It was just always my responsibility, you know? It's like I had one job... I had one job… And I screwed it up." He paused. "I blew it. And for that, I'm sorry." Piper watched as he slowly wiped a tear from his face.

"I guess that's what I do. I let down the people I love. I let Dad down. And now I guess I'm just supposed to let you down, too. How can I... How am I supposed to live with that?" He started to cry again. If Piper's heart hadn't already been broken, it would have done so then.

"What am I supposed to do? Sammy. God. What am I supposed to do?" He inhaled sharply and stood, the chair sliding across the room. "What am I supposed to do?!" he shouted at the silent room. Piper flinched.

He stood and walked to the other room. Piper stood and followed him slowly. "Dean?" she rasped.

He was putting his coat on. She stood in front of him, not touching him, searching his eyes. He didn't look at her. "Get out of my way, Piper."

"Where are you going?"

He met her eyes. "Get out of my way, Piper, I don't want to make you move."

His threat didn't scare her a bit. Dean would never lay a hand on her in violence. "Dean," she tilted her head, searching his face. He was giving nothing away. "Are you about to go do something stupid?"

He didn't respond, but kept her gaze.

"Is it something Sam would have wanted you to do?"

He glared at her. "Sam wants me to bring him back."

He tried to move around her, and she stepped into his path again. "Are you going to do something stupid to bring Sam back?"

"Piper, get the hell out of my way."

"Dean, please." She started to cry. "Are you going to tell me where you're going?" She inhaled and put her hand on his arm. "Are you going to make me lose both of you?"

He sighed. He put a hand behind her head and pulled her forward to press a kiss to her forehead. "Stay here with Sam, kitten. Don't let Bobby or anyone bury or burn him. I'll be back." He met her eyes, steely determination shining in their green depths. "I'm going to fix this, Piper."

He walked around her. Piper held it together until the Impala's engine roared. She buried her face in her hands and sank to her knees, sobbing for the first time in two days.

 **xxxxx**

 **A/N: Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural, or the characters (heartbroken).**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	14. A Damn Door to Hell

Piper had moved the chair back to the bed and watched Sam. It had been a few hours since Dean had left. She had the bottle of whiskey in her hand, but hadn't taken a drink. It was more for comfort than anything.

She knew Sam was going to wake up. She had put her grief on hold. She knew Dean was going to bring Sam back, she had utter faith in him. But what was he going to do? How was he going to bring his brother, and her best friend, back, and what was it going to cost him?

Piper was considering these things when Sam gasped and sat up. He was looking around wildly, his hand to his chest. He saw Piper sitting in the chair. She had placed the whiskey bottle down beside her. She stood calmly and crossed the room to sit next to him on the bed.

"Piper? Piper, what the hell is going on? Where are Dean and Bobby?"

She didn't respond, just studied him. He looked good, he looked _alive._ She placed a hand on his face, then remembered that he had asked her a question. "They, um, Bobby went home. Dean went to run an errand."

"What happened?" He looked around at the room he was in. "Where are we?"

Piper tried to think quickly, and tried to suppress the tears. "You were injured, it was bad. We're in one of the houses in the town you were in."

"Injured?" Sam felt his chest. "Where?"

Piper smiled. "On your back, Sam. Turn around and lift that shirt up, let me check on it."

Sam stared at her, then slowly stood in front of her. He lifted his shirt. Piper sucked in a breath at the ugly scar on his back.

"Does it look bad?" He looked over his shoulder at her.

She shook her head slowly. "Nope, looks good!" She stood next to him as he pulled his shirt down. "I'm glad you're okay, Sammy," she said softly.

He met her eyes. "Piper, what the hell is going on?"

She couldn't take it. She stepped forward and went up onto the tips of her toes to kiss him on the cheek and wrap her arms around his neck. She buried her face in his neck, inhaling his scent. "I don't know, Sam."

He put his arms around her waist, hesitantly. "Where is Dean?"

She shook her head, refusing to let him go. "I don't know."

"Piper, I'm confused." Sam said honestly.

"I know, Sam. Just hug me for a second, Gigantor."

 **xxxxx**

They were sitting at the table when the Impala roared in the driveway. Dean came crashing into the house. "Sam?"

He saw them at the table, his eyes resting on Sam. "Sammy? Thank God." He pulled Sam to his feet and pulled him into a tight embrace.

Sam was chuckling. "Ow, uh, Dean…"

Dean released him and stood back. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, man. I'm just... I'm just happy to see you up and around, that's all." Sam nodded, and looked confused.

"Guys, come sit down," Piper said quietly.

Sam sat, and Dean sat opposite him. "Okay. Dean... What happened to me?"

Dean looked nervously at Piper. "Well, what do you remember?"

Sam looked down and relayed the story he told Piper. "I saw you, Pipe, and Bobby, and... I felt this pain. This sharp pain, like... White-hot, you know, and then you started running at me, and... That's about it."

Dean nodded. "Yeah, that… That kid, stabbed you in the back. You lost a lot of blood, you know... It was pretty touch and go for awhile."

Sam was looking between the two of them. Piper stared back impassively. "But Dean, you can't… You can't patch up a wound that bad."

Dean grinned and put his hand on Piper's shoulder. "No, but she could. Who was that kid, anyway?"

"His name's Jake. Did you get him?"

Dean shook his head. "No, he disappeared into the woods."

Sam was getting angry. "We've got to find him, Dean. And I swear I'm gonna tear that son of a bitch apart." He stood, and Dean stood with him. Piper stayed seated, watching them.

Dean put his hands on Sam's shoulders. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Easy, Van Damme. You just woke up, all right? Let's get you something to eat. Huh? You want something to eat?" Sam nodded.

Piper stood. "Bobby left some food for us."

 **xxxxx**

They were sitting at the table, eating. Piper was really just pushing her food around. She was too terrified of what Dean had done. The thought of food nauseated her.

Sam was telling them about the people who had been in the town with him. "And that's when you guys showed up."

"That's awful," Piper murmured. "Poor Andy."

"The demon said he only wanted one of us to walk out alive."

Dean's eyebrows rose. "He told you that?"

Sam scoffed. "Yeah. He appeared in a dream."

"He tell you anything else?"

"No. No. That was it. Nothing else. You know, what I don't get, Dean, is if the demon only wanted one of us, then how did Jake and I both get away?"

Piper looked at Dean, eyebrows raised. He met her gaze briefly, then looked away.

"Well, I mean, they left you for dead. I'm sure they thought it was over." He paused.

"So now that Yellow Eyes has Jake, what's he gonna do with him?"

Sam didn't look convinced. "I don't know. But whatever it is, we got to stop him."

Dean frowned. "Well, hold on. You need to get your rest. We got time."

Sam looked at him and Piper incredulously. "No, we don't." He stood.

Dean stood, too. Piper, again, stayed seated. "Sam, oceans aren't boiling, okay? Frogs aren't raining from the sky. Let's get you your strength back first."

Sam sighed. "Well did you call the Roadhouse? They know anything?"

He heard Piper's soft whimper, and looked down at her. She was trying to keep it together. "Pipe, what is it?" He sat down and took her hand. She looked away, and he looked up at Dean.

Dean sighed and sat. "The roadhouse burned to the ground. Ash is dead. Probably Ellen... A lot of other hunters, too."

Piper watched Sam's eyes fill and squeezed his hand. He looked at her. "Demons?"

She nodded. "Yeah, we think so. We think because Ash found something."

"What did he find."

"Bobby's working on that right now," Dean said nervously.

Sam stood again. "Well, come on then. Bobby's only a few hours away."

 **xxxxx**

Piper was sitting next to Ellen, itching to reach out and hug her. After a tense reunion with Bobby, he and Dean had gone outside to retrieve something. They were gone for a long time, Piper thought, and when they had come back, Ellen had been with them.

Piper was in shock, and getting kind of tired of people not being dead when she thought they were.

Bobby set a shot glass full of water on the table in front of Ellen. Piper frowned. "Bobby, is this really necessary?"

Bobby shot her a glare. "Just a belt of holy water. Shouldn't hurt."

Ellen took the shot and set the glass down on the table. "Whiskey, now, if you don't mind."

Dean leaned forward. "Ellen, what happened? How'd you get out?"

She shook her head as Piper stood to get her a shot of whiskey. "I wasn't supposed to. I was supposed to be in there with everybody else." She scoffed. "But we ran out of pretzels, of all things. It was just dumb luck." She took the shot of whiskey Piper had poured and let out a long breath. "Anyway, that's when Ash called. Panic in his voice. He told me to look in the safe. Then the call cut out. By the time I got back, the flames were sky-high. And everybody was dead. I couldn't have been gone more than fifteen minutes."

Piper's eyes were filled with tears as she hugged the older woman. "I'm so sorry, Ellen."

Ellen took a shaky breath. "A lot of good people died in there, and I got to live." She scoffed again. "Lucky me."

"Ellen, you mentioned a safe," Bobby said cautiously.

She nodded. "A hidden safe we keep in the basement."

Piper tilted her head to the side. "Did the demons get what was in it?"

"No." She took out a map and lay it flat on the table. There were lines drawn across it.

Dean looked over Piper's shoulder. She stiffened when he spoke. "Wyoming. What does that mean?"

 **xxxxx**

"Howdy, Jake."

Dean felt his face harden when they saw the man who had stabbed Sam. The five of them walked out of the woods and into the cemetery, guns raised.

Jake's eyes widened when he saw Sam. "Wait... You were dead. I killed you."

"Yeah? Well next time, finish the job."

"I did!" Jake insisted. "I cut clean through your spinal cord, man. You can't be alive. You can't be." Dean didn't meet Sam's brief glance, just kept his gun trained on Jake.

"Okay, just take it real easy there, son." Bobby was speaking to Jake slowly.

Jake turned to the older man. "And if I don't?"

"Wait and see." Sam snarled.

Jake chuckled. "What, you a tough guy all of a sudden? What are you gonna do? Kill me?"

Sam shrugged, keeping his gun steady. "It's a thought."

"You had your chance. You couldn't."

"I won't make that mistake twice."

Jake started laughing, and Dean saw red. The bastard who had killed Sammy was laughing in their faces. "What are you smiling at, you little bitch?"

Jake grinned, still chuckling, and looked at Piper. "Hey girlie, do me a favor. Put that gun to your head."

Dean's heart stuttered as Piper put her gun to her temple with a shaking hand. She looked terrified.

"See that Ava girl was right. Once you give in to it, there's all sorts of new Jedi mind tricks you can learn."

Sam was furious. "Let her go."

Piper's voice was trembling with effort. "Shoot him."

Jake glared at her. "You'll be mopping up skull before you get a shot off." Dean's heart started up again, helpless rage threatening to overwhelm him.

Jake made eye contact with each of them, but didn't bother compelling them. He knew he had them. "Everybody, put your guns down. Except you, sweetheart." He winked at Piper. Dean felt his lips lift in a snarl as he really dropped his gun, hearing Bobby, Sam, and Ellen do the same.

Jake smiled. "Okay. Thank you." He turned and pulled the Colt out of his pocket. He inserted it into the crypt door.

As he pushed the gun into what appeared to be a keyhole, Dean stepped behind Piper, wrapped about arm around her waist and hauled her back to him, taking the gun away from her with his free hand. He was putting her down when four shots rang out.

Dean turned, still holding Piper, to see Sam standing over Jake, who was bleeding profusely and gasping. "Please... Don't. Please."

Sam shot him three more times, not flinching when blood splattered up onto his face.

Dean and Piper walked to stand next to Sam as he wiped it off silently. Bobby and Ellen walked to them, Bobby staring at Sam.

A whirring sound broke the silence, and Dean stared at the crypt. Two engravings were whirring around the barrel of the Colt fast. He flinched as they stopped.

The four look over to the crypt as two separate engravings on the crypt spin in different directions, then stop.

"Oh, no," Bobby said, horrified.

"Bobby, what is it?"

"It's hell."

Dean walked forward and pulled the Colt out of the crypt. The doors started to rumble.

Bobby started to run, pulling Ellen with him. "Run!"

Dean sprinted away, grabbing Piper and throwing her to the ground behind a tombstone, covering her body with his. He heard a snap beneath him, but she didn't make a sound, and he didn't have time to check on her. Black smoke was still roaring over them, streaming from the doors of the crypt.

He looked over to the tombstone where Ellen was crouched. "What the hell just happened?!"

"That's a devil's gate! A damn door to hell!" She looked at them. "Come on! We gotta shut that gate!"

Dean checked the Colt for bullets, thinking that maybe the yellow-eyed demon had given it to Jake for a reason.

He heard Piper gasp beneath him, and as he turned the Colt flew out of his hand and into the hand of the yellow-eyed demon, who was standing behind him.

"Boys shouldn't play with Daddy's guns," the demon said with a smile. With a flick of his wrist, he flung Dean through the air. His head hit a tombstone, pain shooting through it. He heard Piper scream and a heavy thud.

Bobby, Ellen, and Sam were struggling to close the crypt door. Dean heard his brother call out, "Dean!"

Dean looked up, hand to his head, to see Sam letting go of the door and running toward him. Then he flew into the air, the yellow-eyed demon smiling at him. "I'll get to you in a minute, champ. But I'm proud of you. Knew you had it in you."

Dean was struggling to sit up, and felt himself being forced back down. "Sit a spell."

The demon crouched in front of Dean. "So, Dean... I gotta thank you. You see, demons can't resurrect people, unless a deal is made. I know, red tape, it'll make you nuts. But thanks to you, Sammy's back in rotation." The demon laughed. Dean felt anger coursing through him. The demon continued, "Now, I wasn't counting on that, but I'm glad. I liked him better than Jake, anyhow. Tell me, have you ever heard the expression, 'If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is?'" He peered at Dean curiously.

Dean scoffed. "You call that deal good?"

The yellow-eyed demon shrugged. "Well, it's a better shake than your dad ever got. And you never wondered why? I'm surprised at you. I mean... You saw what your brother just did to Jake, right? That was pretty cold, wasn't it?" He chuckled. "How certain are you that what you brought back is one hundred percent, pure, Sam?" He laughed out loud again. Dean was struggling against the force that held him there, determined to kill the son of a bitch. "You of all people should know, that's what's dead, should stay dead, Dean-o. Anyway... thanks a bunch. I knew I kept you alive for some reason. Until now, anyway. I couldn't have done it without your pathetic, self-loathing, self-destructive desire to sacrifice yourself for your family."

Dean's blood ran cold as the demon stood and aimed the Colt at him. Before he could close his eyes, John Winchester grabbed the demon from behind. Dean went numb with shock, watching his father struggle with the demon. As they fought, the Colt fell. Dean was still too numb to notice until he heard Piper's stage whisper. "Dean!"

He looked at her, then looked back down. He lunged for the gun, just in time. As the demon stood and turned back to Dean, he took aim and shot the demon in the heart. It fell to the ground.

The sound finally lessened, and Dean turned around to see that Bobby and Ellen had gotten the doors shut. Dean looked back at his father. John smiled and put a hand on Dean's shoulder. Sam had approached from where he had been thrown. He and John nodded to one another. Piper was behind them, and John turned around to give her a wink. Then, with another look at Dean, he stepped back and closed his eyes. A blinding light shone where he stood, and then he was gone.

Dean looked at his brother, shocked. He started to chuckle. "Well, check that off the to-do list."

Sam was also amazed. "You did it."

"I didn't do it alone."

Sam paused. "Do you think Dad really... Do you think he really climbed outta hell?"

"The door was open. If anyone's stubborn enough to do it... It would be him."

"Where do you think he is now?"

Dean shrugged. "I don't know."

Sam started smiling. "I kind of can't believe it, Dean. I mean... Our whole lives, everything... Has been prepping for this, and now I... I kind of don't know what to say."

Dean grinned. "I do." He leaned closer to the body. "That was for our mom, you son of a bitch."

"Guys." Bobby said gently. They turned to him. He had an arm around Piper, who was looking rather pale, and was holding her left arm weird. Dean frowned, concerned. "Piper needs a hospital. Let's go."

 **xxxxx**

 **A/N: Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural, or the characters (heartbroken).**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	15. What's Up, Winchester?

"Well, Steven, what you _heard_ is not what _happened,"_ Piper snapped into the phone. Dean lifted his head and grinned at her tone. "And if I hear you spreading rumors about it, I will take it upon myself to personally, _physically,_ let you know how offended I will be. Am I making myself clear, Steven? I don't want any more _misunderstandings_ like this."

She flipped her phone shut, irritated. "The _nerve_ of that guy! Telling me what happened like I wasn't in that damn cemetery."

Sam was chuckling. "Pipe, no one knows you were there."

She turned to him. "Shut it, Winchester."

Dean grinned and looked back down at the book he was looking at. It was a few weeks after they had killed the yellow-eyed demon, and untold number of demons had been released into the world. He and Sam had been hunting almost constantly since then, but had come back the night before. Bobby was trying to get the Colt to work again, and had called them back to help.

Piper's wrist had been severely sprained in the cemetery, so she had opted to stay back. She had become a mini-Bobby, fielding calls from hunters in need. She had also become sort of a dispatcher, calling hunters to go where they were needed, assembling teams, building strategies.

Dean was a little worried, she was working at least twenty hours a day, and barely ate a thing. He hadn't realized how bad it was until he had seen her when they had gotten in yesterday. There were dark smudges under her eyes, and her clothes were starting to hang off of her already slender frame.

He was brought out of his musings by Sam raising his hands in defeat. "Yes, ma'am."

Piper laughed and flopped next to him on the couch, laying her head on Sam's shoulder. "If these people don't stop blaming you guys, I'm going to lose my temper."

Piper had spent the time when she wasn't researching or directing hunters fiercely defending the Winchesters. Anyone who even suggested that they might be to blame for the door to hell opening got an earful. Anyone who didn't let up on their suspicions was hung up on, and Piper blatantly refused to help them.

Dean smiled at her. "Pipes, people are going to blame us. It's not fair, but it's what it is."

Her eyes were closed, and she didn't open them. "That's stupid," she muttered.

Dean frowned. She hadn't looked at him all day, and barely spoke to him. It was subtle, but if she was addressing him, it was because she was addressing both brothers. He was sure it had something to do with the deal he'd made, but she wasn't talking about it, and he sure as hell wasn't going to bring it up.

He glanced at the window, mildly surprised that it was dark. He checked his phone. "Pipes, it's after midnight. Go to bed."

She shook her head and got up without meeting his eyes. "No such luck. Gotta research." She picked up a book and sat down opposite of Dean, flipping it open and digging out the notebook she kept her notes in, sinking into her work.

Dean met Sam's eyes, then waited her out. Fifteen minutes later, she was mostly asleep, her head propped in her hand. Dean stood and came around to stand behind her. He reached a hand out to her shoulder, but something prevented him from touching her. Instead, he put it on the back of her chair. "Piper, you're about to drop. Go to bed."

She started awake, blinking owlishly. "Um… You might be right," she mumbled as she stood. As she stretched her arms above her head, Dean averted his eyes and stepped back. _Stop it, pervert,_ he thought angrily at himself.

Piper made her way to the stairs, then turned and smiled at Sam. "'Night, Winchesters. Back at it bright and early."

Dean watched her go, then turned back to Sam, who was smirking. "What?" he asked, irritated.

Sam raised his eyebrows. "Nothing, man. Just watching you leer at our childhood friend."

Dean scowled and closed his book. "Shut up, Sam."

 **xxxxx**

A noise startled Dean awake. He sat up in his bed, trying to get his bearings. He looked over at Sam, who didn't seem to be bothered, if his snores were anything to go by.

He heard it again. It sounded like a soft moan. Dean got out of bed and found a pair of sweats, pulling them on as he opened the door and stuck his head out. The noise was coming from the right, the direction of Piper's room.

He walked slowly down the hall, cursing himself for not grabbing his gun. He stopped at Piper's door, listening intently. He felt his heart stutter when he realized she was crying.

He knew that it was his fault. He knew she was crying over him. His chest felt like it was on fire as he closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against her door. He didn't know what to do. He shouldn't go in there, he didn't have the words to comfort her. He wasn't a words guy, he was a man of action. The soft whimpers were tearing at him, but if he went in to comfort her, it wouldn't be with words.

Piper was his best goddamn friend, and if he touched her he wouldn't stop. And suddenly, he was tired of running from her. He was tired of her not meeting his eyes, he was tired of not touching her, platonically or otherwise. He was tired of the tense silences, and of her only speaking to Sam.

Dean was tired of not having Piper.

Before he could reconsider, he lifted a hand and rapped on her door. "Pipes?"

 **xxxxx**

Piper was laying on her bed, crying like her world was ending. She knew it was part exhaustion, but she couldn't tell herself that was all it was. _Only a year,_ she thought sadly, a fresh wave of sobs tearing through her.

During the day, she was able to distract herself with work. Helping hunters, researching a way to save Dean, researching omens in general. But at night, at night she couldn't stop crying. At night, it was harder to keep the fact that Dean would be torn from her in a year at bay.

She was winding down, starting to doze, when she heard a knock on the door. "Pipes?"

Her eyes widened and she sat straight up in bed. _No._ "I'm fine!" she chirped, wincing at her weirdly cheery tone.

"Piper, come on…" Dean said softly on the other side of the door.

He wasn't going to go away, Dean was too stubborn. She hurried to flip her wet pillow over, wipe her face, and check her hair in the mirror. She ran her fingers through it and wiped her face again. She sighed softly. Her face was still swollen, and her eyes were red, but there was no helping that. She stood in front of the door and cursed herself for being nervous. _It's just Dean_ , she thought to herself as she pulled the door open.

Her eyes widened and her breath caught. Dean was leaning in her doorway, shirtless, a pair of sweats slung low on his hips. His green eyes _(seriously, who has eyes that freaking green?)_ were intent on hers.

She pasted a smile on her face. "What's up, Winchester?"

There was a predatory look in his eye that sent a shiver down her spine, even though he wasn't moving. "I heard a noise."

She felt herself shrug. "I didn't hear anything." _Is this an out of body experience? This is an out of body experience._

He raised an eyebrow, and warmth spread through her belly. "Is that so?"

"What do you want, Winchester?"

He stood up slowly, stepping toward her. Piper had to concentrate on not moving back. She felt like prey. His eyes were hypnotic. "Piper," he rasped.

She swallowed, her breathing becoming shallow. "Yes?"

He stepped forward, as close as he could get without touching her. Piper felt dizzy. "Why don't you say my name anymore?"

She blinked. That wasn't what she was expecting. "I say your name all the time."

He didn't break eye contact, and the heat radiating from him was getting distracting. Piper felt heat pool between her thighs. "My first name, Piper."

"I do say your first name," she breathed. The tension in her belly was becoming unbearable. If he didn't touch her soon, she was fairly sure she would die.

"Piper." His voice held a low, sensual warning that made her head spin.

She kept her eyes on him and said nothing. The words she needed weren't coming to her. Only one word was beating its way through her.

He tilted his head toward hers until their lips were a whisper apart. "Say my name," he growled softly, his eyes on her mouth.

The next second felt like an eternity. Was she really going to do this? She should shut her door, pretend this hadn't happened in the morning. Dean was one of her best friends, and if they crossed this bridge, they were never coming back. Could she do that? How could she not?

Before she could reconsider, Piper let her eyes drift close. _"Dean."_

Before she knew what was happening, his mouth came crashing down onto hers. With a soft cry, she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into him, kissing him back with all the emotion she had left in her. His hands settled at her waist, pushing her gently into the bedroom so he could kick the door closed behind him.

He pushed her gently to the bed, then broke away from her mouth to give her a gentle nudge so she fell backwards, landing on the pile of blankets.

"Clothes," he whispered softly, the sensual threat still making her heart beat faster.

She pulled her tank top off with shaking hands, grateful that her room was dark enough that she couldn't see his expression. She didn't think she was that bad, but when she thought of some of the women Dean had slept with, she didn't have a lot of faith.

His quick intake of breath swept her insecurities away. She took her time slipping her bottoms off, not breaking eye contact as she swept them and her panties off at once. Once she had kicked them to the floor, she smiled at him in what she hoped was a seductive manner. The look in his eye was making it hard to think. "Dean," she sighed softly.

He hooked his hands into his sweats and swept them to the floor. Piper took her own sharp inhale when he stood before her. He was _glorious_. She hoped God was patting himself on the back, because Dean was absolutely perfect.

He leaned forward and crawled up her body, licking and nipping his way from her hips to her breasts. He gently lapped at her nipple, making her moan. She arched her back and had to swallow a cry as he sucked it into his mouth, gently scraping the sensitive bud with his teeth. "Oh, God, Dean!" she whimpered as he gave the other nipple the same gentle attention.

She felt him smile against her breast, and he moved up to her collar bone. He let his weight rest on his elbow, and his other hand trailed down from her hip to between her legs. She was gasping as his finger move slowly through her folds. "Dean, please…"

He chuckled and bent down to lick her neck, his voice rasping in her ear. "Do you want this, kitten?"

Her hips bucked of their own accord as his finger slowly sank into her. "Oh, God, _yes."_

He slipped another finger into her, causing her back to arch. His own breath was becoming unsteady in her ear. "Jesus, Piper, you're so wet," he growled softly into her ear, sending heat into her abdomen.

She turned her head and took his face into her hands, kissing him soundly. "For you, yes, I am," she said softly, watching his eyes darken with desire.

He started to kiss down her body. She put her hands on his shoulders, causing him to look up at her. "No," she said softly. "Not right now. I need you." She tugged him back up to her and pushed him onto his back, enticing a growl from deep in his chest. She smiled as she straddled him, the tip of his cock almost touching her.

His low moan made her head spin. "Protection?" he bit out.

She leaned down to lay burning kisses along his jaw. "I'm on the pill." She sat up a little and smirked down at him, her hair creating a curtain around them. "Got any diseases I should know about, Winchester?"

An unreadable expression settled on his face, his eyes burning holes into her. "No."

Before she knew what happened, he hooked an arm around her waist and rolled her underneath him, another growl rumbling in his chest. She gasped as he pulled his arm from underneath her and buried his hand in her hair beneath her head, tugging it gently to pull her head back. "Kitten, when I have you naked," he settled himself between her legs, his cock pressed against her entrance. "In bed," he scraped his teeth against the skin of her vulnerable throat. A low moan pulled itself from her. He kissed his way up to her ear. "You _will_ call me by my name." He tugged her hair again. "Understood?"

"Yes, oh God, yes," she choked out, desire making her thought processes cloudy. She was trying to move her hips up to his, trying desperately to fill the emptiness she felt.

"Yes, _what,_ Piper?" he snarled in her ear, his hand tightening in her hair and his hips moving back to deny her.

She groaned and scraped her nails down his back, enticing a shiver out of him. "Yes, Dean."

He buried himself in her in one hard, fast motion. At just the right moment, he put the hand not in her hair over her mouth to cover her cry. He stayed still for a moment, giving her time to adjust to his size. When she started to whimper and squirm, he started thrusting slowly. He released her hair and rested his weight on both of his elbows, biting her neck gently and sucking hard, leaving his mark on her.

It wasn't enough. "Dean, please," she met his eyes. He stilled, and she groaned and dug her fingers into his shoulders. She placed a hand on the back of his head and pulled him down for a deep kiss. When they came up for air, he pressed his forehead to hers. "Dean," she said softly, meeting those insanely green eyes. "Not gently, not tonight, please, Dean," she pleaded softly.

He kept her gaze for a moment, then a slow smirk that sent electricity through her spread across his face. "Fine," he purred, slamming into her again.

He set a punishing pace, hand covering her mouth to keep her cries quiet. He bit into her shoulder, leaving another mark, his hips ramming into her. Piper shifted her hips, and suddenly he was hitting that delicious spot that sent electricity shooting through her. She pulled herself away from his hand and came up to bite his shoulder, still giving mewling cries as he drove her closer and closer to the edge.

He grunted as her teeth bit into his flesh. He was starting to lose the rhythm, she could feel him him start to tense. He shifted his weight, moving his hand down to move his fingers roughly over her clit, moving in tight little circles. It was enough to send Piper screaming over the edge, Dean covering her mouth again in the nick of time with his to swallow her cries. She felt him tense over her, sinking himself completely into her as he came. "Jesus, _Piper,"_ he moaned as he rested his head on her shoulder.

She moved her arms to wrap them around his neck, holding him as he gradually stopped shuddering. He moaned and rolled over, pulling her with him so she was tucked into the crook of his arm, pressing his lips to her forehead.

 **xxxxx**

There were several long moments while their breathing slowed. Dean's blood was singing, and a fierce possessiveness gripped him. _Mine_ , he thought, satisfied. "Jesus, Pipes, that was-" a soft noise interrupted him. He looked down to see her fast asleep, nestled into his shoulder.

He smiled and pulled the blankets over them without disturbing her. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, causing her to murmur softly. "'Night, kitten."

Her lips tilted upwards. "'Night, Dean."

 **xxxxx**

 **A/N: Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural, or the characters (heartbroken).**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	16. Then We Have a Problem

She was warm, much warmer than she usually was upon waking. Someone pleasantly firm was pressed against her back, his breath stirring the hair at the nape of her neck. She didn't open her eyes, she didn't want to disturb the lovely dream. Instead, she cuddled back into him further, savoring his strong arm pulling her tightly against him.

Piper's eyes popped open in shock. _Oh. My. God._ She was waking up next to Dean Winchester. _Dean. Freaking. Winchester._ Unrequited love of her younger years, and if she was being honest, more recent years. And they had done much more than sleep this time.

Piper turned around as slowly as she could, trying not to wake him up. He shifted a little, but didn't wake. She studied his sleeping face. His perfection was surreal. She felt yearning stirring in her belly the longer she studied him. _Get it together, Finley,_ she told herself grimly as she slowly worked her way out of his embrace. He frowned a little, but still didn't wake up.

She got dressed and finger combed her hair a little. Peeking her head out her bedroom door and listening, she realized she still had the morning to herself. She crept down stairs and made a pot of coffee, sitting at the table while she waited, thinking.

 _What the hell are you doing,_ was the foremost thought in her mind. Even if Dean wasn't a hound, which he was, even if he wasn't already a recipe for a broken heart, which he was, even if he wasn't wildly in love with her, which he was not, he was still going to hell in a year. She was going to lose him, and it was going to break her heart. It was a little crazy, but she wasn't sure she would recover.

But it was Dean. She'd fantasized about him so many times she'd thought she was losing her mind. She loved him. _So… Why not?_ Why shouldn't she have him like this, even just for a while? She didn't want to overthink it, she didn't want to talk herself out of it.

So when the coffee was done, instead of sitting down to research, as had become her custom, she made two cups and carried them silently back to her room. She normally made breakfast, too, but the boys could feed themselves for a day.

She kicked the door shut behind her and moved to the bed. Dean had turned in his sleep, lying on his stomach with his arms tucked under the pillow. The wide expanse of his extraordinary back had Piper forgetting what she was doing for a second. "Christ," she muttered as she put the mugs down on nightstand and sat down next to him in the bed. She hesitated to touch him until she realized that she could now. Emboldened, she lay next to him, running her fingers through the soft hair at the nape of his neck. "Dean?" she said softly.

He muttered and turned to her, cracking one eye open to examine her. "I had a pretty athletic night, kitten," The reminder of the previous night, coupled with his husky voice, had her biting back a gasp. "So there had better be a good reason for you waking me up."

She grinned. "Coffee?"

He snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her close as he turned to lay on his right side. He nuzzled her neck. "Not good enough," he murmured softly, slipping his right arm under her head, using it to pull her into a kiss.

His left hand settled at her waist, his thumb running slowly back and forth against the skin at the hem of her shirt. "Dean," she sighed. She put a hand on his chest to push him away, but somehow found herself running it down to wrap around the rapidly hardening erection pressed into her hip.

He moaned into her mouth, and she smiled against his lips. She pulled away a little to look him in the eye. "Dean, we shouldn't… They'll hear us…"

He smiled wickedly, slipping his fingers into the waistband of her pajamas. "One, kitten, they'll hear _you,_ not us." He maneuvered her pants down enough so she could kick them off, already submitting to him. He smiled and pushed her thighs apart to make room for his hand. His finger started making lazy circles around her clit, not touching where she needed him to be. "And two," he said softly, using his tongue to swirl along the shell of her ear. "Let them hear."

 **xxxxx**

Later, they dozed, her back pressed against Dean's chest. He heard noises start down the hall. _Sammy's awake._

"Sam's getting up. Bobby, too, probably," she said softly. She turned to look at him, a sleepy smile on her face. "Also, the coffee is cold."

He was struck by how soft she looked, how pretty. His Piper was tough, he had only seen glimpses of her softness. And then, last night, she had been splayed out before him. Her soft voice begging him not to be gentle had nearly undone him...

Much like the laughter in her eyes now. "Three times in one morning, Winchester? I'm going to need to start doing cardio…" His eyes narrowed as hers widened. "Dean, Dean, I meant Dean!" she was laughing as he pulled her around and shifted until he was pinning her to the blankets, nuzzling her neck underneath her jaw.

He moved up to her ear, damn near purring with satisfaction. "You're going to pay for that, kitten."

 **xxxxx**

Sam lifted his head, his toothbrush pausing in his mouth. Piper's laughter floated down the hall, followed by a suspicious silence. Dean hadn't been in their room, Piper was laughing and still in bed, and Sam was not an idiot.

He rolled his eyes. "Finally."

 **xxxxx**

Bobby was in the kitchen, pouring himself a cup of coffee when Piper's laughter reached his ears. He was conflicted, but her laughter was pulling his face into a smile.

"About damn time," he muttered as he sipped his coffee.

 **xxxxx**

Dean went downstairs first, Piper was in the shower. He said nothing in response to Sam's smirk or Bobby's intense stare, just walked into the kitchen and put one of the cups he'd carried downstairs into the microwave.

 _Dammit, should have talked to Piper about this._ Dean had never been ashamed of sex with beautiful women, but Piper was more important than that. He needed to know what she wanted so he could respect her wishes. He wasn't sure what to do, and he wasn't used to that. So he went to his default setting, which was anger.

"Something I should know?" He snapped, not turning around.

Bobby hmphed, and he heard Sam chuckled. "No, man, just, you know. You, uh, slept late."

The microwave dinged, and he pulled Piper's coffee out, placed it on the counter, and put his in. "What of it?"

"What of what?" Piper asked as she walked into the kitchen. "Is that mine?" She asked, pointing to the mug on the counter.

Dean was struck dumb. She wasn't wearing anything different, just a tank top and tight jeans, but he couldn't take his eyes off her. Maybe it was knowing what was under her clothes. Maybe it was the obvious hickey on her neck, the teeth marks on her shoulder, or the bruises in the shape of his hands he suspected were on her hips. Whatever it was, Dean suddenly wondered how he'd managed to keep his hands off her for so long. He nodded in response to her question.

"Thank you," she said with a smile, taking a sip before turning around. She paused when she realized that Bobby and Sam were staring at her.

 _Ha, so it's not just me,_ Dean thought smugly.

Piper frowned. "What's going on?" She touched her damp hair self-consciously. "Do I look that bad?"

"Definitely not," Dean said fervently.

She shot him a shy smile before turning back to the other two men in the kitchen. "What's wrong?"

Sam seemed to realize that he'd been staring. "Uh, no, Pipe, everything's fine. We were just, uh, talking about you guys, uh, that is, Dean. We were talking about Dean sleeping in," he finished lamely.

Her frown deepened. "It's not that late. It's still before nine."

Bobby hadn't taken his eyes off of Piper. "He meant to say that we were about to talk about sleeping arrangements."

Dean was getting irritated again. "Why the hell would we talk about that?" He snapped, stepping forward to sling an arm around Piper's shoulders.

Bobby chuckled and raised his cup to his lips. "Just making sure you two have pulled your heads out of your asses before we get to work."

Piper relaxed and laughed, turning to include Dean. He was overwhelmed again, and used his arm to pull her close to press his lips against hers. She tasted like coffee.

"Ew."

"Hey, not in my kitchen, I gotta eat in here."

She was smiling against his lips, and Dean felt something wake up in his chest. _Uh-oh._ She pulled away, eyes sparkling. _I am in trouble._ "Speaking of eating, who wants breakfast?"

 **xxxxx**

That night, Dean stood outside of Piper's room, debating whether or not to knock. She had gone to bed a few hours before, and he didn't want to seem clingy, but sleeping in her bed with her sounded a hell of a lot better than sleeping in his own.

He turned the knob slowly, trying to push the door open quietly, when she made a startled noise, and he heard papers rustling.

"Um, Dean? Knocking?"

He pushed the door open, narrowing his eyes at the sight of her sitting cross-legged on her bed, pen wound up into the knot at the top of her head, trying to scoop the papers around her into her arms.

She gave him a tight smile as some of the papers floated down onto the floor. "Um, hi, if you could give me just a second-"

He walked in and knelt to pick up one of the sheets of paper. It was a photocopy of a page out of an old book, what looked like a spell on it in Latin. Scribbled next to the words, in her loopy handwriting, was: _demon dispelling ritual? talk to Sam._

"Can I have that back, please?"

He glared at her, anger stirring in him. "What are you doing?"

She sighed, defeated. "We're trying to find a way to get you out of your deal."

He frowned. "Piper-"

"Stop, Dean. I'm not talking to you about this tonight." She started putting her work away, not looking at him.

Which made him more angry. "Piper, look at me."

She did. "Why? So you can yell at me for trying to save you? Can it, Winchester," she snapped.

"Why are you going behind my back with him?"

She sighed and leaned back, having put her research away. "Because I wanted one day of us before we started arguing again. I wanted a twenty four hour period to adjust to whatever this is before we got into hard stuff." Another sigh, and she met his eyes. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have made that decision for you. If you want to hash it out, we can."

Dean looked at her for a long moment, then shook his head. "Piper, I don't want you to look into this."

She gave him a wry smile. "Well, then we have a problem. Because I'm going to look into it."

"Piper, no."

"Piper, yes. I'm not going to sit by and let you go to hell, Dean." She sighed. "I couldn't stop you from making the deal, and I will find a way to live with that. But I will be damned if I'm going to sit back and watch you get dragged into hell."

"God dammit, Piper, leave it alone. If I try to get out of the deal, Sam's going to die!" he shouted.

"I'm not going to let Sam die, either, Dean." She looked down.

He knelt in front of her, hands on her knees. "Come on, Pipes, let this go."

She met his eyes, steel glinting in the hazel. "No."

He stood and backed away. "Well then we do have a problem!" he yelled again.

She didn't flinch. "Then go sleep in your own bed, Winchester, because I am not going to apologize to you for trying to save your sorry ass."

He slammed the door behind him.

 **xxxxx**

Two hours later, Dean was staring at the ceiling, trying to hold onto his anger. Thoughts about the day kept creeping through, bleeding into thoughts about the night before.

The day had been… Kind of nice. It had been a blur of stolen glances, kissing her, touching her. Pulling her into the hallway to make out like horny teenagers, her squeezing his thigh under the table, moving her hot little hand higher and higher until he had to excuse himself.

He had watched her all day. She bit her lip when she was concentrating, or nervous. How had he not noticed that? She barked orders like a drill sergeant when hunters called, and was able to sweet talk law enforcement like no one he had ever seen. All with that hickey on her neck, marking her.

 _Mine_.

With a groan, he got out of bed, pulled his sweats on, and walked out to the hallway. He was not going to apologize, he told himself firmly as he walked to her door.

He was not going to give in, he vowed as he quietly opened her unlocked door, slipped on, and closed and locked it behind him.

He had come here to make her cut it out, he thought as he pulled the covers off of her and slid into bed behind her, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close.

"Dean…" she sighed softly,interlacing her fingers with his.

"I'm sorry I yelled, kitten. Can I stay?" He asked, thoughts of his pride flying away as he buried his face into her hair.

"You can always stay, Dean."

 **xxxxx**

 **A/N: Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural, or the characters (heartbroken).**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	17. Right In the Face

He used the hand over her mouth to tilt her head so he could whisper into her ear. "Come for me, kitten."

Piper's world flew apart as she came, dimly grateful he had his hand over her screaming mouth. His low moaning in her ear as he lost his rhythm egged her on, and she writhed beneath him, her nails sinking into his back. He bit her shoulder as he came.

With a grunt, he rolled off of her. They lay side-by-side, catching their breath.

"Well, good morning to you, too," she said wryly between gasps.

He chuckled and pulled her on top of him, wrapping his arms around her as she rested her head on his chest. "Morning, kitten." They lay there for a while in silence, enjoying each other's presence.

A knock at the door startled her, and she lifted her head, hitting Dean's chin.

"Ow," he said mildly. She giggled.

"Hey, could you guys stop being disgusting for two minutes? We have a case."

 **xxxxx**

Dean's phone rang through the empty warehouse he and Sam were in. A newly made vampire Gordon Walker was chasing them, specifically Sam.

Dean took another moment to be grateful that Piper hadn't come with them.

Sam's eyebrows rose. "You've had that phone two hours, Dean. Who'd you give the number to?"

"Nobody." He answered. "Hello?"

Gordon sounded smug. Dean felt ice touch his spine. "Dean."

"How'd you get this number?" He snarled, letting his fear transform into anger.

"Your scent's all over the cellphone store. Of course, I can't smell you now. Where are you?"

"Well, I guess you'll just have to find us, won't you?"

Gordon chuckled. "I'd rather you come to me."

Dean was murderous. "What's the matter, Gordo? You're not afraid of us, are you? We're just sitting here. Bring it on!"

"I don't think so."

There was a beat of silence. "Say something to your boyfriends." More silence, then the smack of flesh on flesh. "Woman…"

Dean's felt like his face was made of stone. Sam's questioning face hovered close. "Not convincing, Gordon. What else you got?"

"Fine, bitch. You don't have to say a damn word."

There was another moment of silence, the clanking of metal on metal. Another beat, a whimper, then Piper's scream came through the phone.

Dean saw red. He watched Sam's face fill with rage as Gordon's voice came back on the line. "Factory on riverside off the turnpike. Be here in 20 minutes or your girl dies."

"Gordon, let her go."

"Bye, Dean."

Dean tried to squash the panic in his gut. "Gordon! Don't do this. You don't kill innocent people. You're still a hunter."

"No. I'm a monster."

Dean looked at his phone for a second in horror. He looked up at Sam, who was already getting ready to go. "Sam, he has Piper," he said unnecessarily.

"Let's go get her."

 **xxxxx**

They approached the warehouse cautiously, guns drawn. There was a huge door standing open, and a woman on the ground in front of it.

Caution thrown to the wind, Dean hurried to her, kneeling to gently turn her over. "Pipes?"

It wasn't Piper. Her hair wasn't even the right color, he had just been so hopeful that they could grab her and go. He slung her arm over his shoulder and picked her up in his arms. "Sam, stay close."

Sam nodded and moved to follow them, but the huge door slammed shut between them.

"Sam? Sam!?"

 **xxxxx**

Piper heard the door shut from where she lay on the floor. Her left eye was swollen shut, and her leg hurt where Gordon had driven the poker through. She had tried, tried so hard not to make a sound. She whimpered again, trying to move her weight off of her leg, but she was bound tightly and couldn't.

She heard movement, but she was fading in and out of consciousness. Gordon hadn't been gentle when he'd thrown her to the ground, and she was scared that she had a concussion. She heard Sam's voice, and struggled to keep herself awake. Maybe she could help… Distract Gordon… Where the hell was Dean?

Only bits and pieces of their taunts made it through to her wavering alertness.

"You have no idea what I faced to get here. I lost everything. My life. But it's worth it, 'cause I'm finally gonna kill the most dangerous thing I ever hunted. You're not human, Sam."

"Look who's talking."

She heard scuffling, and Sam grunting. She heard liquid hitting the floor, then a thud.

"Piper?" Sam asked quietly into the room.

She was fading fast, and let out a whimper.

"Piper? Oh, Jesus, Piper." He found her and dropped to his knees next to her, hands hovering over her. "Oh, God, Piper," he whispered. "What did he do to you?"

"Samuel Winchester, if you do not check my gums, I will find a way to kill you," she growled at him.

A sad chuckle. He gently touched her lips and pulled them up. "Still human, Pipe. Try to hold still, I'm going to cut the ropes."

He released her, and she didn't move. She didn't have the energy. "Come on, Pipe. Oh, Jesus, your leg… Okay, this is going to hurt, okay, I'm really sorry, Piper."

He didn't touch her, and Piper opened her right eye. "Sam, it's going to hurt no matter what." She felt tears coming to her eyes, and hated herself for it. "Just get me the hell out of here, okay?"

 **xxxxx**

Later, Dean swore that seeing Sam come out of the warehouse with Piper, bloody and still in his arms, shaved a year off of his life. Sam's arms were covered in blood, and more importantly, _Piper wasn't moving._

He left the dead vampire that Gordon had baited him with to approach them. Without needing to say it out loud, Sam seemed to know what Dean wanted. "Be careful, she's lost a lot of blood."

Dean tenderly took her into his arms, wincing at the sight of her leg. "Oh, God, kitten, what did he do to you?"

She moaned a little, and opened her good eye at him. "Hi, baby," she said softly. "I might have a concussion," she said as she fainted in his arms.

"Piper! Piper!" he shouted, shaking her a little, hating to do it.

She jerked awake. "What, Dean, God?"

He chuckled and they made their way back to the Impala. "Sorry, kitten, I think you need to stay awake until we get you to a hospital. Sam, come get the keys out of my pocket, you're driving"

He slid her into the backseat tenderly after Sam unlocked the door, and moved in to sit behind her. He settled himself with his back against the door, his left leg stretched out along the seat. He pulled Piper to him, her back to his chest, and wrapped his arms around her. "Come on, Pipes, gotta stay awake."

She groaned. "Dean, I'm so tired. It will be fine, just let me go to sleep."

He kissed the side of her head wincing at the blood that was matting her purple hair. "Come, on, kitten. Talk to me. How did this happen? You were supposed to be at Bobby's." He met Sam's eyes in the rear view mirror.

She whimpered. "A woman called and said you might need help. I came to help, and ended up getting my stupid self kidnapped."

Sam looked at Dean again. "Bela," his younger brother snarled.

Dean, focusing on the one who hurt Piper, felt a growl rumble through his chest. "That bastard."

She nuzzled into his chest, wincing when it hurt. "It's okay, baby, Sammy killed him."

Dean was silent for a moment, trying to work through the rage he felt beating through his blood. The alpha male in him was mad at Sam for killing Gordon. The alpha male in him wanted to kill the creature who had hurt his woman. He tamped it down. _Not now, be an ass later._

He realized Piper had been silent too long. He leaned in and whispered into her ear. "Pipes, baby, I'm sorry, I need you to stay awake for me. Talk to me."

She didn't open her eyes, or the one eye that she could open, but she spoke. "What should I say?"

Dean thought for a moment, searching for something, anything. "Tell me something I don't know."

"You're an ass for keeping me awake," she mumbled darkly.

He chuckled. "Something I don't know about _you_ , smart-ass."

She was silent for such a long moment Dean almost spoke again. "I played guitar for all of high school. And piano."

Sam chuckled from the front seat. "I didn't know that, either, Piper."

She tried to smile, but her lip was split open, and she winched as fresh blood pooled there. Dean smothered another wave of anger. "I know, I was so embarrassed."

"Were you not any good?"

She was apparently feeling better, because she raised her hand to flip Sam off. Dean chuckled and kissed her head again, ignoring the tackiness. "No, jackass, I was really good. It just felt like a useless thing to be good at. I couldn't have hit the broadside of a barn, but I had the guitar on lockdown."

Dean chuckled. She sighed and settled back into him. He nudged her as gently as possible.

"What else?"

"Ugh."

"Come on, Pipe. We're almost there," Sam urged from the front seat. He was speeding like a mad person.

"Um, okay…" Her breathing was heavy and labored. "Um, okay, um, when I was eighteen, I tried to knit a scarf for Bobby. It was so awful, I tried to throw it away, but Bobby walked in on me. It's that awful red scarf he wears every winter."

Dean laughed out loud. "Wow, that's… That's something."

Sam pulled the Impala into the ER parking lot. "Dean, take her in, I'll park and be right behind you."

 **xxxxx**

Seeing her in a hospital bed made Dean realize how small Piper was. There was a tube under her nose, a bandage on her head and around her leg.

Her eye fluttered open and took a long time to focus on him. Her lips tilted up into a gentle smile. "Hi."

He put a smile on his face. "Hey, kitten."

She frowned. "My head hurts."

He kissed the hand he had been holding. "You got hit pretty hard." He frowned. "Pipes, why did you come?"

She blinked, and Dean realized she was probably high. "Because she said you needed me."

"You had no idea who it was, Piper."

She shrugged. "Bobby said he knew her, and that you had had run-ins with her before. I didn't want to risk it."

"You shouldn't have risked yourself," he snapped, helpless to stop the anger in his voice. But God dammit, why had she come? She had almost gotten herself killed. The anger had nowhere else to go.

Instead of getting upset, she sighed. "I'm not going to 'pologize, Dean. I'm too tired to do this with you tonight. Go fight with Sam."

Before he could open his mouth to apologize, Sam and Bobby walked through the door. "Piper, honey, you idjit." Bobby said gruffly, worry coming through his tone.

She smiled. "Hi, Bobby, I'm glad you're here."

He came and sat in the chair on the other side of her bed, taking her other hand. He looked down, realizing that her knuckles were bloody. "Piper," Bobby said quietly, "Did you punch a frickin' vampire?"

She started to giggle. "Right in the face."

Sam laughed. "So that's where that came from. Good job, Pipe."

Bobby frowned, but before he could open his mouth she met his eyes with hers. "Bobby, if you yell at me, too, I will kick both of you out and hang out with Sam."

Sam looked at Dean. "Too?"

"Shut up, Sam." Dean said gruffly, feeling guilty.

Sam smiled and put a hand on Piper's leg. "Glad you're okay, Pipe. We should let you get some sleep."

"I'll stay with her," Bobby said quietly, eyes not leaving Piper.

Sam pushed past Dean to place a kiss on Piper's forehead. "Hey, I'm _really_ glad you're okay. I'm sorry we didn't get there in time."

She smiled sleepily up at him. "You did, Sam."

He smiled and walked out of the room. Dean leaned forward and kissed her tenderly on the lips. "I'm sorry, kitten."

She smiled at him, too. "I know, Dean. 'Sokay. Go with Sam."

He went to leave and heard her mutter, "Love you."

He stiffened, turning around quickly to find her asleep. He met Bobby's even gaze. "Go on, Dean." He said, turning back to Piper.

Dean was reeling as they walked out to the parking lot, tamping down panic. _She's high, she didn't mean it._ They had been sleeping together for three days, she wasn't in love with him. If anything, it was a platonic, best friend kind of love.

Women didn't fall in love with him, they fell in lust with him. Then, when they realized he was a closed off jackass whose default setting was pissed, they left. It was an arrangement Dean was very comfortable with. Getting attached in this life, in his life, meant becoming a liability.

 _She was tripping balls, she didn't know what she was saying,_ Dean thought as took the keys from Sam and they silently got into Baby. And while a great, vast majority of him was very relieved, he ignored the little disappointed pang in his chest as they drove away.

 **xxxxx**

 **A/N: Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural, or the characters (heartbroken).**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	18. I Just Can't

Piper was leaning against of the beds in the crappy motel they were staying at. Someone who was appearing as Santa Claus was killing people, seemingly at random.

It was a couple of weeks after she'd been kidnapped. She was healing at a remarkable rate, but putting her weight on her leg still hurt, so she had been regulated to research. It was irritating, but it was honestly as much as she could handle.

"So, was I right? Is it the serial-killing chimney sweep?" Dean was asking cheerfully.

Sam laughed. "Yep. It's, uh, it's actually Dick Van Dyke."

"Who?"

Piper raised an eyebrow. "Mary Poppins?"

Dean looked at her. "Who's that?"

Piper giggled, while Sam was clearly appalled. "Oh come on… Never mind."

Dean shrugged. "Well, it turns out that Walsh is the second guy in town grabbed out of his house this month."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

Piper watched the two of them. Watching them solve a case was one of her favorite things.

"The other guy get dragged up the chimney, too?"

"Don't know. Witnesses said they heard a thump on the roof." They shrugged at each other. "So, what the hell do you think we're dealing with?"

Piper cleared her throat. _Here goes nothing._ "Actually, I have an idea."

They turned to her. "Yeah?"

She bit her lip, ignoring the way Dean's eyes darkened. "Uh, it's gonna sound crazy."

Sam grinned. "What could you possibly say that sounds crazy to us?"

She closed her eyes. "Um… Evil Santa."

Dean paused, and then nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, that's crazy."

She glared at him. "I'm just saying that there's some version of the anti-Claus in every culture." She started counting on her fingers. "You got Belsnickel, Krampus, Black Peter. Whatever you want to call it, there's all sorts of lore."

Sam smiled. "Saying what?"

"Saying back in the day, Santa's brother went rogue and now he shows up around Christmas time, but instead of bringing presents, he punishes the wicked."

Dean raised his eyebrows. "By hauling their ass up chimneys?"

Piper nodded. "For starters, yeah."

"So, this is your theory, huh? Santa's shady brother?" Sam asked skeptically.

Piper shrugged. "Yeah, I could be wrong."

Dean was looking at her. "Maybe, maybe not."

Sam swung around to Dean. "What?"

"I did a little digging. Turns out both victims visited the same place before they got snatched."

 **xxxxx**

Piper was leaning against the headboard the next evening, research spread out around her, lost in thought.

Dean wanted to do Christmas. It was a first, she had always had to convince him to celebrate. Under normal circumstances, she would have been all for it, but it would be hard to put on a happy face this year.

Dean was going to be dead next year. It was completely unreal to Piper that he wouldn't be there to threaten and cajole into enjoying the holiday with her. If he really wanted to, she would drag up the spirit. She just didn't feel like celebrating when the man she was in love with was going to die in a year.

Piper looked up as the door unlocked and the brothers walked in, already talking.

"How much do you think a meadowsweet wreath would cost?" Dean was asking, dropping his bag and coming to sit next to Piper on the bed.

Sam shrugged. "A couple hundred dollars, at least."

Dean's eyebrows rose as he put an arm around Piper. "This lady's giving them away for free? What do you think about that?"

Piper nodded. "Sounds pretty suspicious."

They sat in silence for a while, each lost in their thoughts. Piper was enjoying the feel of Dean pressed against her when he spoke. "Remember that wreath Dad brought home that one year?"

Sam scoffed. "You mean the one he stole from, like, a liquor store?"

Dean grinned. "Yeah, it was a bunch of empty beer cans. That thing was great. I bet if I looked around hard enough, I could probably find one just like it." He turned to Piper. "Eh? What do you think, kitten?"

Before she could respond, Sam already was. "All right. Dude… What's going on with you?"

Dean turned back to his brother. "What?"

"I mean, since when are you Bing Crosby all of a sudden? Why do you want Christmas so bad?"

Dean was starting to get agitated. "Why are you so against it? I mean, were your childhood memories that traumatic?" Piper put her hand on his thigh and squeezed gently.

Sam sighed. "No, that has nothing to do with it."

"Then what?"

Sam ran a hand through his hair. "I, I mean, I, I just… I don't get it. You haven't talked about Christmas in years, not if Piper wasn't bugging us about it."

Dean shrugged. "Well, yeah. This is my last year."

Pain gripped Piper's heart. She swallowed the sound that wanted to escape. She couldn't let it.

Sam met her eyes, and she saw the same pain there. "I know. That's why I can't."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I can't just sit around, drinking eggnog, pretending everything's okay, when I know next Christmas you'll be dead. I just can't."

 **xxxxx**

Dean was watching Piper sleep that night, trying not to think. Sam's words had struck him, and Piper's silence afterwards had confirmed that she felt the same way.

He didn't know what to say to them. There was nothing. The deal had been made, there was no way to get out of it. He just wanted some good stuff to go out on.

He let go of a deep breath, pulled Piper closer, and tried to sleep.

 **xxxxx**

Piper was bandaging Sam's finger, fuming. "I'm glad you killed them with a Christmas tree."

He smiled at her. "Join the club."

She finished and stood to clean up, keeping her weight on her left leg. "Where did Dean go?"

"Beer."

She smiled and had turned away when he put a hand on her arm. "Piper… Do _you_ feel like celebrating?"

She turned back around and studied him for a minute, then decided on honesty. "No." She fought to keep tears out of her eyes, and won. "No, I don't. But if we were going to, I would suck it up. I think he wants happy memories to take with him. I think he's scared, and he's trying to cover." She took a deep breath. "But I have never felt less like celebrating Christmas."

Sam seemed to think for a long time while she cleaned up. When she was done, she sat on her and Dean's bed with a sigh of relief.

It ended when he looked up at her. "I need your help, Pipe."

 **xxxxx**

Dean's face when he walked in to see the decorations she and Sam had put up was worth the dull ache in her leg.

"What's all this?" He was looking around, amazed, at the lights and the tiny tree they had found.

Piper smiled. "It's Christmas."

Dean looked at the two of them, shocked. "What made you change your mind?"

Sam ignored him. "Here, uh... Try the eggnog. Let me know if it needs some more kick." He handed Dean a plastic cup.

Piper stifled a laugh when Dean almost choked on the eggnog. "No, we're good," he coughed.

Sam was grinning. "Yeah?"

Dean held his cup up in a toast. "Yeah." As soon as Sam looked away, Dean gave Piper a _what the hell_ face. She had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.

Sam moved some chairs so they were sitting in a circle. "Good. Well, uh, have a seat. Let's do… Christmas stuff, or whatever."

As the men exchanged gifts, Piper stayed quiet. This was a moment for them. She sipped her not spiked eggnog and just enjoyed being there, smiling at their gas station gifts to one another.

They seemed to realize that she was there a few minutes later, both of them shooting her guilty glances.

She smiled. "I didn't get you guys anything either, so no worries, guys."

Sam frowned. "That's not fair."

A light bulb went off in Piper's head. "Tell you what, you can make it up to me. Bring me my phone."

Sam got up and dug through Piper's bag to bring her her cell phone. She handed it to Dean. "Take a picture of us, Winchester."

Dean raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Sam helped Piper stand up. "I don't have any recent pictures of us!"

She stood next to Sam, who wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. Her leg twinged, but she kept her smile on. It was Christmas, after all.

Dean directed them around a bit and finally took the picture. She was more tired than she had realized, because her leg was on fire, and she was getting a headache.

"All right, now one with Dean. Get over here, Winchester," she said, smiling at him as they switched places. When Dean stood next to her, she leaned heavily into him, taking weight off of her leg, still trying to keep her face still.

Despite her efforts, Dean must have noticed that she was in pain. Before she could protest, he bent and picked her up, with her knees dangling over one arm and his other arm supporting her shoulders. She squeaked and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Dean!"

He made a show of nuzzling her ear, whispering so Sam couldn't hear, "You have a good poker face, kitten, but you can't fool me."

"Stop being gross and look at the damn camera," Sam barked cheerfully.

Piper turned and smiled, staying still as Sam snapped the photo. Then she turned and looked back at Dean, losing herself in those ridiculous green eyes. He grinned and leaned down to press a kiss to her lips, murmuring "Merry Christmas kitten," into her lips.

Dean carried Piper to her chair again, moving his own closer to hers so he could wrap an arm around her shoulders.

There was an awkward silence. "Do you feel like watching the game?" Sam asked, finally.

Dean smiled in relief. "Absolutely."

Piper rested her head on Dean's shoulder and watched the game with her Winchesters.

 **xxxxx**

Dean lay on his back with Piper's head resting on his bare chest, hand idly playing with her long hair. Sam was asleep, so he kept his voice low. "Piper, I'm sorry."

She lifted her head to look at him. "For what?"

He looked up at the ceiling, he couldn't look at her right now. "You know for what. Playing dumb will not win you sympathy here, Finley."

He felt her smile as she laid her head back down on his chest. He resumed playing with her hair. "I just… I'm sorry."

She kissed his chest. "I know, Dean. I know."

For some reason, he didn't want to let it lie. "Piper, I'm serious. I didn't have a choice, and I'm not sorry I did what I did. But I'm…"

"Sorry," she finished softly. She didn't lift her head, but Dean's hand stilled. "I know, Dean. I know you are, and I know why you did what you did. I just…" A soft sigh. "I just wish things were different."

He held her for a while, trying to think of something to say to cheer her up. Dammit, the only way he was good at comforting her was with his hands, but taking her didn't seem like an option right now, she was still in pain.

They fell asleep before he could think of anything.

 **xxxxx**

 **A/N: Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural, or the characters (heartbroken).**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	19. But You Won't Be

"Thank God you're home, honey. Can you grab this for me?"

Piper was standing in a clean kitchen, definitely not Bobby's, in a bright yellow sundress. Her feet were bare, her violet hair braided over her shoulder, longer than it had been since he'd last seen it. Her pink lips were curved into a loving smile, her eyes sparkling.

Those weren't the things Dean noticed. What he noticed was the bump on her stomach. It wasn't big yet, but he had kissed, nipped, and licked his way down her stomach enough times to know that it wasn't there before.

Piper was pregnant. With his child. And, he noticed calmly, there was a ring on her left ring finger.

He felt his lips stretch into a smile. "Sure, kitten." He walked to her and picked up the pot of pasta she was gesturing to, moving to the strainer in the sink.

She came to stand behind him, her hand on his back. "We only have a couple of hours until the kids come home," she said, glowing up at him.

"They at Jen's?"

She nodded. "Another playdate."

Dean started to smile when the world started to shake. Piper was blipping in and out of existence, her smile never changing. "They'll be home… So we only have… Are you okay, baby?"

 **xxxxx**

Dean shook himself awake, sweating, trying not to disturb Piper, who had rolled away from him in her sleep. "Shit," he muttered softly, swinging himself around to place his feet on the floor. He leaned over and put his head in his hands, his elbows resting on his thighs. "Shit."

It had been two weeks since they had saved Bobby from that crazy kid with the dream powers. Piper had insisted they stay home for a few days to make sure Bobby was okay. The older man grouched and grumbled, but Dean suspected he was enjoying the way Piper was waiting on him hand and foot.

The dream he had just had was the one Sam had seen. They hadn't talked about it, because Dean refused to think about what it meant. He liked Piper a lot, they were good together in bed, and that was it. It had to be it. He was going to hell.

She had completely healed, only a violent pink scar left as a reminder. The rapid healing concerned everyone a little, but there were bigger problems. They were still fighting to cure Dean. Sam was getting frustrated, but Piper was serene, certain they would find something. He didn't know if he was grateful or irritated for that.

He was starting to get terrified. He was going to _hell._ What he had told Piper was true, he didn't regret the decision he had made, but it didn't mean he wasn't scared.

He heard Piper shifting in bed, turning to support herself on her elbow. "Dean? What's wrong?"

He didn't move. "Nothing, Piper, go back to sleep."

He closed his eyes when she ignored him, moving until her legs were resting outside of his. She wrapped her arms around his stomach, leaning her head against his shoulder blade. "No good, Winchester, try again."

He sighed. "It's nothing, Pipes. I'm fine."

"Mhm," she murmured, unbelieving.

"I…" He swallowed hard. "I can't, kitten, I can't talk about it."

She nodded. "Okay, then come to bed and show me."

 **xxxxx**

Piper woke up sore. Dean was sleeping on his side, turned away from her. The scores in his back from her nails made her blush. She looked down, observing the peppering of bite marks, hickeys, and light, finger-shaped bruises up and down her body. Their sex had become desperate and fierce, they clung to one another. It was amazing, but it made her sad. He was scared, and he wouldn't tell her.

A gentle knock on the door. She wrapped herself in the blankets up to her neck, made sure Dean was covered, then called softly, "Come on in, Sam."

He came in and pulled a face. "Ew, Pipe, what the hell?"

She rolled her eyes. "What do you want, Sam?"

He was blushing, much to her amusement, and looking at the ceiling. "We have a case."

 **xxxxx**

 _Heat of the moment_

 _Telling you what your heart is_

Piper cracked an eye open and glared at Dean. "Seriously?"

Sam was sitting up, also glaring at Dean. "Dude. Asia?"

Dean was sitting on the bed he and Piper had shared, tying his shoes. He looked annoyingly awake. "Come on, you love this song and you know it."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and if I ever hear it again, I'm gonna kill myself."

Dean reached over and turned it up, starting to bop his head along with the music. "What? Sorry, couldn't hear you."

Piper turned and pushed him off of the bed. "I swear to God, Winchester, justifiable homicide."

Sam laughed.

 **xxxxx**

They walked into a cute little diner. Piper smiled at the cashier, who was smiling and giving an older gentleman change.

"Drive safely now, Mr. Pickett."

"Yeah, yeah."

They found a booth and slid in, Piper and Dean sitting across the table from Sam. Piper watched the people around them curiously.

The waitress was talking to a man who was dressed in rather tattered clothes. "Can't stay unless you order something, Cal. You know the rules."

The man passed her some change from his pocket. "Some coffee."

Piper was considering paying for his breakfast (with Dean's money, he needed good karma) when Dean nudged and pointed at the poster up on the wall. "Hey, Tuesday. Pig in a poke."

Sam scoffed. "You even know what that is?"

The waitress came up to the table, smiling. "Everyone ready?

Dean grinned. "Yes. I'll have the special, side of bacon and a coffee."

"Make it two coffees and a short stack." Sam said, smiling.

"Copy his for me, too, please." Piper asked, pointing at Sam.

The waitress smiled. "You got it."

As she walked away, Dean leaned forward. "I'm telling you, Sam, this job is small fry. We should be spending our time hunting down Bela."

Piper rolled her eyes. "Okay, sure, let's get right on that. Where is she again?"

Dean nudged her. "Shut up, Pipes." She nudged him back.

Sam watched this with a smile. "Look. Believe me, I want to find her as bad as you do. In the meantime, we have this." He pulled out a newspaper. The front clipping read in capital letters, MISSING - DEXTER HASSELBACK LAST SEEN IN BROWARD, FLORIDA.

"Dexter Hasselback was passing through town last week when he vanished." Sam said.

Piper took the newspaper from him. "Do we know his last known location?"

"His daughter says he was on his way to visit the Broward County Mystery Spot." He handed Piper the flyer.

The front had a huge question mark, and the back had several equations. She frowned. "These make no sense."

Dean had put his arm around her shoulders and was reading over her shoulder. "Where the laws of physics have no meaning."

Doris had arrived with their coffee and a bottle of hot sauce on her tray. She smiled at Dean and Piper. "You two are adorable." Dean grinned and kissed the side of Piper's head.

Doris smiled and started handing out coffee. "Three coffees, black, and some hot sauce for the-" The bottle fell off of the tray and shattered on the floor.

"Whoops! Crap, I'm sorry." She turned back. "Cleanup!"

 **xxxxx**

They were walking away from the diner. Piper cooed at a dog as they passed it while Dean and Sam discussed the case.

"Sam, joints like this are only tourist traps, right? I mean, you know, balls rolling uphill, furniture nailed to the ceiling, they're only dangerous to your wallet."

"Okay, look, I'm just saying, there are spots in the world where holes open up and swallow people. The Bermuda Triangle, uh, the Oregon Vortex-"

Piper scoffed. "Broward County Mystery Spot?"

Sam shrugged down at her. "Well sometimes these places are legit."

It was Dean's turn to scoff. "All right, so if it is legit, and that's a big-ass if, what's the lore?"

"Well-" Sam was interrupted when Dean collided with a blonde woman walked down the street.

He turned to check her out. Piper smacked him on the back of the head, irritated. "Tongue in head, Winchester."

He looked back and grinned at her. "Aw, come on, Pipes-"

"The lore's pretty frigging nuts, actually," Sam interrupted loudly. "They say these places the magnetic fields are so strong that they can bend spacetime, sending victims no one knows where."

Piper shot him a grateful look. "Sounds a little X-Files to me."

They were passing two movers, who were trying to get a piano through the door.

"Told you it wouldn't fit."

"What do you want, a Pulitzer?"

Sam ignored them. "All right, look, I'm not saying this is really happening, but if it is, we gotta check it out, see if we can do something."

Dean waved his hand. "All right, all right, we'll go tonight after they close, get ourselves a nice long look."

 **xxxxx**

That night, they were in the Mystery Spot, and Piper was irritated. "This place is a hoax."

Dean shined his light at a table, lamp, and ashtray glued upside down to the ceiling. "Uncanny."

He turned to Sam. "Find anything?"

The EMF meter in Sam's hand was silent. "Nope."

"Do we even know what we're looking for?" Piper asked as she examined the ridiculous room.

"Uh, sure." She cocked an eyebrow at Sam. "No."

"What the hell are you doing here?" a voice cried out.

They swung around, Dean and Piper drawing their guns. Piper's blood ran cold when she saw the owner of the Mystery Spot had a shotgun aimed at Dean. She put her gun down.

Dean had done the same. "Woah, woah, woah, woah, woah. We can explain."

"You robbing me?"

Sam held his hands up. "Look, nobody's robbing you, calm down."

"Don't move!" The gun wavered in the man's hands.

Dean paused. "Just putting my gun down, man."

A shot rang out. Piper saw red as Dean fell.

Sam started calling out. "Dean! Dean!"

No. No. _No!_ It wasn't supposed to happen like this, they had a few months left, he wasn't supposed to be dead yet. Piper couldn't draw in air. No. He was not dead, he was _hers_ , and God dammit, it wasn't supposed to happen like this!

Piper raised her gun and shot the owner in the chest twice without blinking.

She turned and dropped to her knees next to Sam, who was looking at her wildly. She already had her phone out, dialing 911.

Sam turned back and held Dean's face in his hands. "Hey, hey, oh, no, no, no, not like this."

Dean looked at Sam, then he flicked his eyes to Piper. She felt something in her die as he went still.

 **xxxxx**

 _Heat of the moment_

 _Telling you what your heart is_

A car slammed into Dean, the old man from before behind the wheel. Piper ran to him, pulling him into her lap in the middle of the road. "Dean, come on, baby, look at me."

 **xxxxx**

 _Heat of the moment_

 _Telling you what your heart is_

The piano fell on him, flattening him. Piper felt the love of her life's blood splatter onto her face.

 **xxxxx**

 _Heat of the moment_

 _Telling you what your heart is_

"See, if you guys and me decide I'm not going to die, I'm not going to die." Dean said cheerfully, taking a bite of the sausage the waitress had dropped off.

Piper was barely surprised when he started to choke.

 **xxxxx**

 _Heat of the moment_

 _Telling you what your heart is_

Slipped in the shower. Blood everywhere.

 **xxxxx**

 _Heat of the moment_

 _Telling you what your heart is_

"Hey, do these tacos taste funny to you?"

 **xxxxx**

 _Heat of the moment_

 _Telling you what your heart is_

Electric razor.

 **xxxxx**

 _Heat of the moment_

 _Telling you what your heart is_

Sam had the owner tied to a chair, and Piper had her gun trained on him, considering shooting him on principle. Death didn't seem to stick in whatever weirdo universe they were stuck in, anyway, so it's not like he would actually die.

Sam was chopping down the walls of the Mystery Spot. Dean tried to calm him down, and they fought over the ax. Blood splattered onto her face again as the ax hit Dean in the face.

Piper considered shooting Sam on principle.

 **xxxxx**

 _Heat of the moment_

 _Telling you what your heart is_

They walked into the diner again, Piper glaring around the room. She was beyond angry, and she knew Sam was, too. What the hell was happening to them?

There was a knot in her stomach. Watching Dean die over and over and over had had a profound effect on her. Namely, she was livid. Whatever was happening, she was going to hunt down whoever was responsible and kill it. Violently.

"Drive safely now, Mr. Pickett."

"Yeah, yeah."

Sam bumped the old man as they passed him.

"Can't stay unless you order something, Cal. You know the rules."

"Coffee."

Dean pointed cheerfully at the poster on the wall. Piper could have strangled him. "Hey. Tuesday. Pig in a poke."

Sam put a set of keys on the table, then leaned forward and put his head in his hands.

Dean stared at the keys. "What are those?"

"The old man's," Piper answered, leaning over to take Sam's hands in hers. "Trust me, you don't want him behind the wheel."

Dean looked at the two of them. "What is this?"

Doris walked up to the table. "You three ready?"

Dean was still eyeing Sam and Piper. "Uh, yes, we are. I'll have the special, side of bacon and a coffee."

Piper looked at the waitress coldly. "Hey, Doris? What I'd like is for you to log in some more hours at the archery range. You're a terrible shot," she snapped.

Doris looked shocked. "How'd you know that?"

Sam raised his head. "Lucky guess."

Dean looked at them. "Okay, so you think you're caught in some kind of what, again?"

"Time loop," Sam muttered.

"Like Groundhog Day," Piper added.

Sam put his head in his hand again, the other hand still holding Piper's. "Doesn't matter. There's no way to stop it."

She frowned. "Yes there is, Sam. We just have to find it."

"Jeeze, you two are grumpy."

Sam glared at his older brother. "Yeah, I am. You wanna know why? Because this is the hundredth Tuesday in a row I've been through, and it never stops. Ever. So yeah, I'm a little grumpy."

"Hot sauce," Piper sighed, leaning back against the back of the booth.

Dean looked at her. "What?"

Doris arrived to serve coffee. When the hot sauce fell, Sam caught it and slid it across the table.

Doris was spooked. "Thanks."

Dean grinned at Sam. "Nice reflexes."

Sam rolled his eyes and shared a look with Piper. "I knew it was going to happen, Dean. I know everything that's gonna happen.'

Piper rolled her eyes. She had, quite literally, heard this speech fifty times.

"You don't know everything."

"Yeah, I do."

They leaned forward and started speaking in unison. "Yeah, right. Nice guess."

Sam leaned back. "Yeah. I do."

In unison again, "Right, you're a mind reader. Cut it out, Sam. Sam."

They leaned towards each other. "You think you're being funny but you're being really really childish! Sam Winchester wears makeup. Sam Winchester cries his way through sex. Sam Winchester keeps a ruler by the bed and every morning when he wakes up he-"

Dean threw up his hands and sat back. "Okay, enough!"

Piper closed her eyes and leaned her head back. "That's not all. Randy the cashier? He's skimming from the register. Judge Myers? At night he puts on a furry bunny outfit. Over there, that's Cal. He's gonna rob Tony the mechanic on the way home."

"What's your point?"

Sam glared. "Our point is we've lived through every possible Tuesday. We've watched you die every possible way. We have ripped apart the Mystery Spot, burnt it down, tried everything either of us know to save your life, and we can't. No matter what we do, you die."

"And then we wake up," Piper lifted her head to meet Dean's eyes. "And it's Tuesday again."

Dean was mauled by the dog on the way out. Piper shot it.

 **xxxxx**

Piper woke up in a bedroom done in white. She looked around, and realizing she wasn't in the clothes she had been wearing, got angry. Someone had put her in a silk nightgown.

"Hello?" she called out, swinging her legs to get out of the bed.

"Hi, princess." A man entered whom she had never seen before. He had laughing brown eyes that seemed vaguely familiar.

"Do I know you?"

He shook his head. "No, but I know you. Dean Winchester's lover."

She glared. "My name is Piper, jackass."

He chuckled and tossed himself on the bed next to her. "I know, Piper." He sobered. "Listen, this won't make sense to you, but I wouldn't have put you through all of this if I had known you were with them."

Her eyes narrowed. "Put me through all of what?"

He shrugged. "Dean dying."

"That was you." If she moved quickly, she could wrap her hands around his neck.

He held his hands up in surrender. "Yes, but there was a point." He sighed and looked away.

"Dean is going to die, princess, and there's nothing you can do about it."

"Excuse me?" She asked softly.

"Dean is-"

"You think I don't _know_ that? You think I haven't been over and over and over the same stupid spells because there's nothing else? _You think I don't know that I can't save him?"_ she shouted, furious. "And who the hell do you think you are, trying to-"

He stood. "Look, Princess, I'm sorry. I'm going to spare you the bad one. Believe it or not, I like you, and I want you to be all right." There was a sadness dampening the joy in his eyes. "But you won't be."

 **xxxxx**

 _Promise me I'll be back in time_

 _Gotta get back in time_

Piper opened her eyes to see Sam sitting up in bed.

Dean leaned out of the bathroom, toothbrush in his mouth. "What, you two gonna sleep all day?"

Sam looked over at her. _"Piper!"_ he shouted, launching himself at her. "Jesus, what happened to you?"

Piper clung to him for a second. "I don't know, the guy had me somewhere else." She leaned back to look at him. "Was that the trickster? What did he do to you?"

The look in Sam's eyes would haunt Piper for a long time. "Six months… Six months without him." She leaned in and hugged him harder.

She looked over his shoulder at the clock. "It's Wednesday."

Dean walked out of the bathroom. "Yeah, usually comes after Tuesday. Turn that thing off." He eyed the two of them as Piper turned turn the radio off.

Sam stood and pulled Dean into a hug. Dean hugged him back, chuckling. "Dude, how many Tuesdays did you have?"

"Enough. What, uh, what do you remember?"

Dean shrugged. "I remember you were pretty whacked out of it yesterday. I remember getting up with the Trickster. That's about it."

Sam nodded. "Let's go."

Dean looked crestfallen. "No breakfast?"

Piper and Sam turned around and in unison, "No breakfast."

 **xxxxx**

 **A/N: Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural, or the characters (heartbroken).**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**

 ****One of my favorite chapters to write. Hope you liked it!**


	20. Good Luck With That

"We're not the ones you should be scared of, Nancy."

Piper rolled her eyes and strolled into the tiny sheriff's office the FBI agent had taken Sam and Dean into. When she entered, they were walking down a hallway, which lead to the cells in the back.

She approached a scared looking girl at the front desk and smiled. "Hi, Nancy?" The girl turned back, still gripping her rosary, and smiled timidly at Piper. "Yes?"

Piper gave her a winning smile. "Hi, my name is Sarah Fry, I'm the attorney for those two idiots. Do I need to fill out a visitor's badge application?"

Nancy's eyes widened and she hurried to give Piper the information she needed. As Piper filled out the stupid form, she fumed. _Idiots._ She had told them not to underestimate Bela, and look where they were. In a freaking jail cell.

When she was done, Nancy handed her a badge to clip to the lapel of the blazer she was wearing. She picked up her briefcase, took a breath, and walked down the hallway, letting her heels click loudly on the concrete floor.

Agent Henriksen was talking to her "clients," apparently taunting them. Dean, true to form, was rising to the bait. "You know, I wouldn't bust out the melted butter just yet. Couldn't catch us at the bank, couldn't keep us in that jail."

Henriksen was nodding. "You're right. Screwed up. I underestimated you. I didn't count on you being that smart, but now I'm ready."

Piper walked in, head held high. "Mr. Winchester, I'm advising you to shut the hell up right now."

Henriksen glared at her. "Who the hell are you?"

She stopped, looking straight into his eyes. "I'm the Winchesters' attorney, Sarah Fry. And I'd like to know why you were speaking with my client without my presence?"

He glared at her, and then looked back at Dean. "Take a good look at Sam. You two will never see each other again."

People threatening the Winchesters had never sat well with Piper. Her eyes narrowed to slits, and her voice was low and dangerous. "That is quite enough, Agent Henriksen. You may leave."

Henriksen left without a word. Piper glared at Dean. "Do you have to antagonize every law enforcement official you come into contact with, Winchester?" she hissed through the bars.

Dean shrugged and looked at Sam. "How are we going to Houdini our way out of this one?"

Sam was shrugging as another man walked into the holding cell area. Piper felt ice at the base of her spine, and instinctively moved forward to stand in front of the cell.

The man ignored her. "Sam and Dean Winchester. I'm Deputy Director Steven Groves. This is a pleasure."

Piper frowned as Dean replied. "Well, glad one of us feels that way."

Groves' expression didn't change. "I've been waiting a long time for you two to come out of the woodwork."

He pulled a gun out and pointed it at Dean, shooting him in the shoulder. As Dean fell back Piper swung the briefcase in her hand, knocking the demon's hand up so the next shot went wide. She flung herself at him, fighting for the gun. "Sam! Exorcism!" she shouted angrily.

Sam started chanting the Latin required to exorcise the demon. Groves' eyes turned black and he grinned at Piper. "Sorry, I've gotta cut this short. It's gonna be a long night, bitch."

He flung his head back and black smoke poured into the air vent. Piper let Groves' body fall, took the gun, and turned back to the cell. "Dean?"

She didn't turn around as Henriksen and the sheriff came running in, guns drawn and pointed at Piper, who rolled her eyes.

"All right, put the gun down!" the sheriff shouted at Piper.

"Wait! Okay, wait!" Sam was saying from the cell.

Sheriff Melvin turned to look at Henriksen. "She shot him?"

"Oh for God's sake, I didn't shoot anybody."

"He shot me!" Dean shouted.

Henriksen pointed his gun at Piper, too. "Get on your knees, now."

She rolled her eyes again and dropped to her knees while Sam tried to placate them. "Okay, okay, okay. Don't shoot. Please. Look. We didn't shoot him. Check the body. There's no blood. We did not kill him. Go ahead, check him."

Another agent had come in, and knelt to look over Groves' body. "Vic, there's no bullet wound."

"He's probably been dead for months," Piper snapped, irritated that she had to kneel in her stockings.

Henriksen glared at her. "What did you do to him?"

Dean stood, hand still clutching his shoulder. "She didn't do anything. _We_ didn't do anything."

The agent pointed at his gun at Piper. Honestly, if she rolled her eyes anymore she was going to give herself a migraine. "Talk, or I shoot."

"You won't believe us," Dean said, anxiety lacing his words.

Sam wasn't as worried, though. "He was possessed."

Henriksen snorted, then realized they were serious. He holstered his gun. "Possessed? Right. Fire up the chopper! We're taking them out of here now."

Piper got to her feet and went to stand in front of Dean, moving his hand so she could look at his shoulder. "Yeah! Do that!" Dean said to Henriksen's back, wincing as she pulled at his jacket.

"Bill?" There was static on the other end of the agent's walkie-talkie. "Bill, are you there?" He nodded to the other agent to go check outside. Piper ignored all of them and started to work Dean's jacket completely off, as much as she could while he was cuffed.

The walkie snapped to life. "They're dead. I think they're all dead." Piper turned around, eyes wide. There was a shout, then silence.

Henriksen spoke into the walkie. "What the hell was that? Reidy? Reidy?!"

 **xxxxx**

Piper was trying to look at Dean's wound when he grunted in pain. "Don't be a wuss," she said crossly, not stopping.

"Listen, woman-" he started when the lights went out.

"That can't be good," Sam said ominously.

Henriksen walked into the holding area. "What's the plan? Kill everyone in the station, bust you two out?"

Dean frowned, batting Piper's hand away. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about your psycho friends. I'm talking about a blood bath."

Piper snorted. "Please, I'm their only psycho friend, and I'm in here."

Dean nodded. "I promise you. Whoever's out there? Is not here to help us."

"Look, you got to believe us," Sam begged. "Everyone here is in terrible danger."

Henriksen raised an eyebrow. "You think?"

"Not from us, jackass," Piper snapped.

Dean tried to appeal to the agent. "Why don't you let us out of here so we can save you?"

Agent Henriksen snorted. "From what? You gonna say 'demons?' Don't you dare say 'demons.' Let me tell you something. You should be a lot more scared of me." He turned and walked away.

"Oh, please," Piper said, turning back to Dean. "How's your shoulder?"

Dean pulled away Piper's jacket, which they had been using to stem blood flow. "It's awesome. I'll live. You know, if we get out of here alive. So you got a plan?"

Piper turned around. "Yes, I'll be back." Dean sputtered as she walked away.

She went to the front and came to Nancy's desk. "Nancy?"

The younger woman squeaked and jumped. "Oh, um, yes?"

Piper tried for a reassuring smile. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. May I sit?" she gestured to the chair in front of the younger woman's desk. Nancy nodded warily.

Piper sat and then leaned forward, making eye contact. "Look, Nancy, I know you think those guys in there are the bad guys, and I know you think I'm a bad guy for helping them. I'm really sorry that I don't have time to explain everything that's going on, but it's a very long story. You seem like a lovely person, and I wish I had time to make you understand, but I don't. I need a favor, Nancy."

Nancy's eyes widened. "What?"

"This is going to sound weird, but stick with me, okay? I need a couple of clean towels and your rosary."

"My what?"

Piper sighed. "Nancy, I know, I know. But I need you to look me in the eye and decide if I'm crazy. Either way, that's gonna make this whole thing a lot easier." Piper didn't want to take the things she needed by force, but she would. They were in pretty bad trouble, and the brothers were still handcuffed, so she was on her own. It would be easiest of Nancy just gave the damn thing to her, but Piper wasn't willing to walk back into the holding cell without it.

Nancy was quiet for a long time, studying Piper's face. She seemed to come to a decision and nodded. "Okay."

 **xxxxx**

"Is he… is he dead?"

Piper shook her head. "Probably not."

Henriksen, dripping wet, started coughing as he regained consciousness.

Sam knelt next to him. "Henriksen! Hey, is that you in there?"

They had just exorcised the demon who had possessed the federal agent, making him shoot the sheriff he'd been with earlier.

Henriksen looked dazed. "I… I shot the sheriff."

Dean grinned. "But you didn't shoot the deputy." Piper punched him on the arm.

Henriksen, however, ignored him. "Five minutes ago, I was fine, and then…"

Piper was kneeling to check him over. "Let me guess, some nasty black smoke jammed itself down your throat?"

Sam looked sympathetic. "You were possessed."

"Possessed, like… Possessed?"

Piper nodded. "That's what it feels like. Now you know."

Dean handed him back his gun. "I owe the biggest 'I told you so' ever. God dammit, Piper, quit hitting me!" he yelped as she punched him in the arm again.

Henriksen raised an eyebrow. "Piper?"

She smiled. "Are we going to start getting picky about names now, Agent?"

 **xxxxx**

Dean was in the office with Agent Henriksen, loading shotgun shells with salt. He was wondering how the hell they were going to get out of this sheriff's office.

"Shotgun shells full of salt." Henriksen was looking at him, bemused.

Dean shrugged. "Whatever works."

The other man rolled up his sleeves and starting filling his rifle with the salt shells. "Fighting off monsters with condiments." There was a pause. "So, it turns out demons are real."

"FYI, ghosts are real too. So are werewolves, vampires, changelings, evil clowns that eat people." Piper would have hit him, he was sure.

Henriksen thought, then nodded. "Okay then."

Dean grinned. "If it makes you feel better, Bigfoot's a hoax."

"It doesn't. How many demons?"

Dean thought for a moment. "Total? No clue. A lot."

"You know what my job is?"

Dean looked over at him. "You mean besides locking up the good guys? I have no idea."

"My job is boring, it's frustrating. You work three years for one break, and then maybe you can save... A few people. Maybe. That's the payoff. I've been busting my ass for fifteen years to nail a handful of guys. And all this while, there's something off in the corner so big. So yeah… Sign me up for that big, frosty mug of wasting my damn life."

Dean shrugged. "You didn't know."

Henriksen sighed. "Now I do." He looked at Dean. "What's out there? Can you guys beat it? Can you win?"

Dean pulled a face. "Honestly? I think the world's gonna end bloody. But it doesn't mean we shouldn't fight. We do have choices. I choose to go down swingin'."

"Plus you got nothing to go home to but your brother."

Dean looked away. Henriksen smiled. "Ah, the lovely Piper. She's something else, man."

Dean grinned. "Yeah, you're not kidding. What about you? You rockin' the white picket fence?"

"Mhm. Empty apartment, string of angry ex-wives."

There was a crash from the main office. Dean sprinted in, heart racing. Sam came in after him, Piper was already in the room, gun drawn.

Dean felt his blood run cold, eyes widening. He met Sam's eyes, and saw similar panic in them.

Henriksen ignored them and came to stand next to Piper, pointing his rifle. "What the hell is this?"

"A demon," Piper replied. "We have to kill it." Dean winced. _She's going to kill me._

Sam stepped forward and lowered their guns. "We don't."

Piper's turned to look at Sam. Dean saw his life flash before his eyes. "What do you mean we don't, Sam?" she asked quietly.

Sam sighed, looking anywhere but Piper's face. "She's here to help us."

 **xxxxx**

Dean couldn't recall a time when he'd been quite as turned on as he was in that moment, or if he'd ever been this scared and turned on at the same time.

Piper was in the blouse and skirt that she had worn to disguise herself as their lawyer. She was

pacing in front of them, refusing to make eye contact.

She was also holding a rifle, tapping it into her left hand as she paced.

"So… Let me get this straight," she said, still refusing to look at either of them. Rage came off of her in waves. Dean couldn't take his eyes off of her, even as he worried that she would send him downstairs ahead of schedule.

"Ruby, is a demon. That you met… _Months_ ago. She lied about being a demon. She lied about being able to help Dean out of his crossroads deal. And we have spontaneously decided to trust her, because surely she's telling the truth this time."

Sam opened his mouth, starting to get mad. "Pipe, it-"

"Shut up, Sam." She whirled around and glared at them. "And for some reason, I wasn't in on this? For some reason, even though I can't think of one damn thing I've done to deserve it, you two decided, at some point, to completely exclude me from this situation. Even though," she glared at Sam, who had opened his mouth to interrupt again. "Even _though,_ it means that I have been working alongside a _demon,_ and no one saw fit to tell me that." She look at them for a long moment. "Did I miss anything?"

Sam sighed, "Piper, look, I'm sorry we lied to you-"

"Okay." She nodded decisively. "So I didn't miss anything, excellent." She calmly walked between them and out the door, rifle slung over her shoulder.

Dean shuddered as the door shut. "That was the sexiest thing I've ever seen in my life."

Sam glared at him. "Dude, she-"

Dean ignored him to follow Piper out.

 **xxxxx**

When Piper left the room with the brothers in it, still seething. What the hell did she have to do to prove to the Winchesters that they could tell her the truth? She was screwing one of them, for Christ's sake!

She pushed her thoughts away when she heard Henriksen start yelling. "No. Hell, no."

Piper ran in to see Henriksen, Ruby, and Nancy standing in the front room of the sheriff's office. "What the hell is going on?"

Henriksen looked at Piper. "She wants to sacrifice Nancy!"

Ruby sighed. "Look, it's a spell. It can kill every demon in a thirty mile radius, _including me,_ and it will work. But it requires the heart of a virgin."

Dean looked at Nancy, shocked. "You're a virgin?"

Piper's eyebrow creased. "I don't know if ripping people's hearts out should be our first move."

Nancy looked at Piper. "All my friends are out there. I want to do this."

Piper understood what the younger woman was saying, even was inclined to agree. But sacrificing a young woman was a hard pill to swallow. And Piper already hated Ruby, so disagreeing with her was basically a must.

"You don't need to do this," Dean was saying.

"We don't sacrifice people. We do that, we're no better than them," Henriksen snapped.

Ruby was shaking her head. "We don't have a choice."

"Yeah, well, your choice ain't a choice!" Dean's voice was starting to raise.

Ruby turned to Sam. "You know I'm right."

Piper looked at Sam expectantly, but he was silent. She felt her jaw drop open a little. "Sam?"

Dean glared at his brother. "Sam, tell her."

Nancy stood up straighter. "It's my decision."

Ruby nodded. "Damn right, cherry pie."

Dean pointed at Piper. "Don't let them kill any virgins!" He grabbed Sam and dragged him into the hallway.

Ruby sidled up to Piper. "So you're the woman riding Dean Winchester's-"

Piper pointed the rifle at Ruby, almost lazily. "Say it and die, bitch."

Ruby shrugged. "Whatever, you don't want my help, I can leave."

"Go, then."

But they were interrupted by Sam and Dean walking back in. "We have a plan."

 **xxxxx**

"I better call in. Hell of a story I won't be telling," Henriksen said, with the hint of a smile on his face.

The plan had worked, the demons had been exorcised, everyone had lived. Piper felt fierce joy, and some petty pride that their plan had turned out better than Ruby's.

Sam shook Henriksen's outstretched hand. "So what are you gonna tell them?"

"The least ridiculous lie I can come up with in the next five minutes."

Piper smiled. "Good luck with that."

Dean shook the man's hand next. "Not to pressure you or anything, but what are you planning to do about us?"

Henriksen shrugged. "I'm gonna kill you. Sam and Dean Winchester were in the chopper when it caught on fire. Nothing left. Can't even identify them with dental records. Rest in peace, guys."

He turned to Piper, who stretched herself up for a hug before he could offer her his hand. "Thank you," she whispered into his ear.

He laughed and hugged her back. "Take care of these boys, Piper. Now get out of here."

 **xxxxx**

They were sitting in the motel, Piper stretched out on her and Dean's bed, when there was a knock at the door.

Sam stood, walking over to open the door. Ruby walked in. "Turn on the news."

Startled, Piper obeyed without thinking. A pretty reporter looked solemn. "The community is still reeling from the tragedy that happened just a few hours ago. Authorities believe a gas main ruptured…"

Piper covered her mouth with her hand. Dean came to stand next to her, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"...Causing the massive explosion that ripped apart the police station and claimed the lives of everyone inside. Among the deceased, at least six police officers and staff, including sheriff Melvin Dodd, deputy Phil Amici, and secretary Nancy Fitzgerald as well as three FBI agents, identified as Steven Groves, Calvin Reidy, and Victor Henriksen."

Tears stood in Piper's eyes as she watched the pictures of the people they'd fought beside flash on the screen.

"Two fugitives in custody were also killed. We'll continue to follow the story here at the scene, but for now, back to you, Jim."

Ruby came in front of Piper to turn the television off. Piper smothered the urge to exorcise the bitch.

Sam was in shock. "Must have happened right after we left."

"Considering the size of the blast," Ruby muttered as she tossed hex bags to the three of them. "Smart money's on Lilith."

Dean was looking at the bag in his hand. "What's in these?"

"Something that'll protect you. Throw Lilith off your trail… For the time being, at least."

Sam looked up at her. "Thanks."

Ruby rounded on him. "Don't thank me. Lilith killed everyone. She slaughtered your precious little virgin, plus a half a dozen other people. So after your big speech about humanity and war, turns out your plan? Was the one with the body count. Do you know how to run a battle? You strike fast and you don't leave any survivors. So no one can go running to tell the boss. So next time… We go with my plan."

Piper waited until Ruby left to run to the bathroom, losing everything she'd eaten.

 **xxxxx**

 **A/N: Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural, or the characters (heartbroken).**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	21. Everything's Okay

Dean was watching Piper sleep on his chest. Her hair was a mess, her top had twisted all around, and she was the most beautiful thing Dean had ever seen.

A week. He had one week left alive. He was terrified beyond belief, and they had been researching ways to get out of his deal nonstop for days. Sam had finally kicked them out of the library to sleep.

 _Idiot._ How could he have dragged her into bed a year before he was going to hell? How could he have put his hands on her, knowing it would hurt her when he was gone? _Selfish bastard,_ he thought to himself. He had wanted good things to take with him, and Piper was the best thing, but he hadn't taken her into account.

He hadn't realized he was tensing, but he must have been, because Piper stirred. "Dean?" she asked sleepily, raising her head to look at him.

He put a smile on his face, for her. "Hey, kitten, everything's okay."

She squinted at him. "Liar. Tell me."

Instead, he pulled her up to press his lips to hers slowly, then maneuvered them so she was on her back and he hovered over her. He kissed her gently and thoroughly, absorbing the soft little gasps she was giving him.

He lay a burning trail of kisses down to her collarbone, determined to not show how desperate he was for her. He scraped his teeth lightly against the place where her neck met her shoulder, savoring the soft sigh. He used his tongue to soothe the multiple red and purple marks along her shoulders, tempering his need to leave more. It wasn't fair to leave his mark on her now.

His hand slipped under the hem of her shirt, trying to memorize her soft skin and her incredible warmth. He leaned back and tugged at her shirt. She arched her back and raised her arms so he could slip it off. They were so in sync, they rarely needed to speak when they were in bed.

 _How could you do this to her?_

Ignoring the guilt pounding at him, he bent to gently run his tongue over her hardening nipple. She whimpered and wove her hands through his hair, gently pulling him closer. He resisted for a moment, then pulled her nipple into his mouth, sucking hard enough to elicit a soft cry from her. He then shifted and paid the same attention to her other breast.

He was running the hand not supporting his weight up and down her body, exploring every part of her. He kissed his way down her stomach, worshipping her with his hands and mouth. He investigated the planes of her stomach, the hollow of her navel, the devastating curve of her hips. He kissed every little scar and mark in his path, the scars from hunting, the marks from him.

He moved lower, stopping to lift her lovely legs and drape them over his shoulders. He started at on knee and slowly made his way to her center with his mouth. He had left marks here, too, and he soothed them, too. When he was as high on her thigh as he could get without touching her core, and she was squirming, he made his way to her other knee and started over.

He gently licked into her folds, chuckling into her when she moved a pillow over her face to cover the sounds she was making. He slowly ran his tongue up and down her opening, never entering, moving back when her hips bucked into him. He brought his hand to her, slowly slipping a finger into her, savoring the moan she gave him. He looked up at her through heavily lidded eyes, the way she moved enchanting him.

He dipped his head again to slowly run his tongue over her clit, reaching up with the arm that wasn't busy to hold her hips in place. He pulled her into his mouth and slipped one, then two more fingers inside of her.

"Oh, God, Dean!" she cried into the pillow.

He didn't stop, setting a gentle but persistent pace, knowing where to go to drive her crazy. He changed the angle of his fingers, curling them until he hit the spot that devastated her, sucking hard, briefly, on her clit.

Her orgasm tore through her, and he felt this moment sear itself on to his heart.

He moved back up to her, licking his way back up her body until he was nuzzling her neck and moved himself to press against her entrance.

He leaned back to meet her eyes. "Look at me, kitten." She opened her eyes, still breathing hard. He cupped her face with his hand, fighting the emotions trying to come to the surface. Her eyes widened, and he pushed himself slowly into her, watching her face as she whimpered.

He set a loving, slow pace, nuzzling her and kissing her while he moved in her. Sooner than he wanted, he felt his rhythm start to become erratic. He reached down to touch her again, sealing his mouth over hers to swallow the cry she gave as she came. She bit his bottom lip gently, sending him over the edge. He pressed his forehead into her shoulder, still fighting with emotions.

He rolled onto his back, taking her with him, settling her onto his chest. He kissed her forehead and held her close, unable to say anything. She seemed to sense that he couldn't, because she nestled her head under his chin and stayed silent.

He had made love to her. Not had sex with her, but actually made love to her. _Shit._ He was _in_ love with her. Right before he had to go to hell. Dean had never felt worse, had never felt closer to actually regretting his deal than he was right now. He pulled her down to kiss her soundly.

 _You're a genius, Winchester._

 ** _xxxxx_**

It was a Hail Mary. She knew it was a Hail Mary. But it had to work, she couldn't watch him die. She just couldn't.

She ran next to Dean, coming to a fence. Ruby appeared behind them, shoving Piper to the side and pushing Dean up against the fence. "I'd like my knife back, please. Or your neck snaps like a chicken bone."

Piper snarled, but before she could move, Sam was behind Ruby, holding her demon-killing knife up to her throat. "He doesn't have it. Take it easy."

Ruby backed away, Dean glaring at her. "How the hell did you get out?" They had left her in a devil's trap when she'd shown up at Bobby's.

Ruby made a face. "What you don't know about me could fill a book."

Dean's eyes widened and he took a step back. Piper got up and went to stand next to him. "Woah," he said softly.

Ruby glared at him. "What?"

Dean turned to his head to look at Piper instead. "Nothing. I just… I couldn't see you before, but you're one ugly broad." Piper laughed quietly.

Ruby growled and turned back to Sam. "Sam, give me the knife before you hurt yourself."

"You'll get it when this is over."

"It's already over. I gave you a way to save Dean, you shot me down. Now it's too late. He's dead. And I'm not gonna let you die too."

"Try and stop me, and I'll kill you. Bitch."

"Hit me with your best shot, baby."

Piper was looking at the house. "Guys, guys! Hey. Have your little cat fight later."

She felt her eyes widen and her skin started to prickle as they looked around. There were people up and down the street, possessed people, staring straight at them.

"So much for the element of surprise," Dean muttered darkly.

Sam was pushing them. "Go. Go. Run. Run!"

They ran, the footsteps of their pursuers echoing in Piper's ears.

They reached the house after Sam, who was kneeling to pick the lock. Piper stood behind him and turned around, joined by Dean and Ruby. "What the hell is taking Bobby?" Dean asked to no one, angry.

One of the demons had reached the lawn. Piper braced herself for a fight, but the sprinkles turned on and the demon began to scream. Piper felt a fierce grin spread across her face. "Goddamn Bobby Singer. Turned the sprinklers into holy water."

As soon as Sam got the door open, Piper felt Dean grab her arm and drag her into the house. She turned and looked around, eyes pausing at the body on the floor.

Dean was frowning. "You think Lilith knows we're here?"

Ruby nodded. "Probably."

They moved into the living room, silent, ready for a fight. Piper's nerves were like livewires, her adrenaline pumping.

Dean suddenly spun and grabbed a man who had come out of a closet, putting his hand over the man's mouth. "We're here to help. Okay? I'm gonna move my hand, and we're gonna talk nice and quiet, okay?" he whispered.

The man nodded, and Dean slowly removed his hand. Piper approached them. "Sir, where is your daughter?" she whispered as gently as possible.

He was shaking his head. "It's not... It's not her anymore."

"Where is she?" Sam asked, getting impatient.

"Upstairs, in her bedroom."

Dean nodded. "Okay, okay, okay. Listen to me. I want you to go downstairs to the basement. Put a line of salt at the door behind you. Do you understand me?"

"Not without my wife."

Piper frowned. "Yes, without your wife."

"No."

They didn't have time for this. Piper reared back and cold-cocked him, watching dispassionately as Dean caught the man before he fell. Dean didn't say a word, just tossed the unconscious man over his shoulder and walked away.

 **xxxxx**

They were shutting the basement door behind the family when Sam and Ruby walked past them. Piper turned at Ruby's nasty tone of voice.

"Well, I hate to be a 'told you so'."

Sam glared at her. "All right, Ruby, where is she?"

The demon shrugged. "I don't know."

The four of them walked into the living room while they were arguing. Piper snuck a look at Dean. He was tense, vibrating with energy. She felt her heart start to break.

"Could she get past the sprinklers?" Sam was asking.

"Her pay grade, she ain't sweating the holy water."

Sam turned to face Ruby. "Okay, you win. What do I have to do?"

She tilted her head at him. God, Piper hated her. "What do you mean?"

"To save Dean. What do you need me to do?"

Piper understood, and while she was scared, part of her cheered. She wanted them both to be okay, but if Sam could save Dean, she wanted him to do it. They could deal with the fallout later, but if they were all together...

Dean grabbed Sam's shoulder to pull him around, but Sam resisted. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Dean snapped.

Sam pulled away from him and turned back to Ruby. "Just shut up for a second. Ruby!"

But the demon was shaking her head. Piper resisted the urge to kill her. "You had your chance. You can't just flip a switch. We needed time."

"Well, there's gotta be something. There's gotta be some way, whatever it is, I'll do it."

Dean grabbed him again and turned his brother to face him. Piper came to stand next to them, hands hovering to interfere if things got violent.

Sam was struggling. "Don't, Dean! I'm not gonna let you go to hell, Dean!"

"Yes, you are!"

Piper's world came to a grinding halt. She felt dizzy, she couldn't pull a breath in. It was too much.

Dean was calmer. "Yes, you are. I'm sorry. I mean this is all my fault, I know that. But what you're doing, it's not gonna save me. It's only gonna kill you."

Sam looked away, to Piper. She met his eyes without flinching, her tears already starting to fall. "Then what am I supposed to do?" he asked softly.

Dean sighed. "Keep fighting. Take care of my wheels. Take care of Piper. Sam, remember what Dad taught you... Okay?"

Sam nodded. Dean continued. "And remember what I taught you."

Dean turned to Piper and opened his mouth, but she couldn't. She couldn't hear him say goodbye. So instead she placed a hand at the nape of his neck and pulled him down to kiss him, hard.

The grandfather clock in the hall struck midnight. She pulled away from Dean, and they all looked around. Dean's eyes widened as he stared behind her. "Hellhound."

Piper tensed. "Where?"

He pointed. "There."

The growl sent shivers down her spine. Dean bolted, Piper and the rest following. She wished fervently that shooting the thing would help as they ran into a nearby room and slammed the door behind them.

She grabbed the bag with the goofer dust and spread it along the doorway, Sam and Ruby holding it shut. The door shook with the effort that the hellhound was using to get it open. As soon as it was covered, the door stopped shaking. Piper ran to cover the window, too.

Ruby turned to Sam. "Give me the knife, maybe I can fight it off."

Sam was confused. "What?"

"Come on! That dust won't last forever."

Dean turned to look at them. "Wait!"

Ruby glared. "You wanna die?"

"Sam, that's not Ruby!"

Piper watched as Sam and Dean went flying, then felt herself be flung hard against the wall. Something was pinning her there. She watched helplessly as Dean tilted his head to look at the demon. "How long you been in her?"

Piper's stomach rolled as the demon's expression became childlike. "Not long." Lilith. She looked down. "But I like it. It's all grown up and pretty."

"And where's Ruby?"

"She was a very bad girl, so I sent her far, far away."

Dean shrugged, trying for nonchalance. Piper's heart felt like it was going to burst from her chest. "You know, I should have seen it before... But you all look alike to me."

Lilith glared at him for a beat, then turned to Sam. "Hello, Sam. I've wanted to meet you for a very long time." She grabbed Sam's face and kissed him. Piper redoubled her efforts to break away from whatever force was holding her. Lilith pulled away. "Your lips are soft," she said as Sam tried to pull his face away.

"Right, so you have me. Let my brother go."

The demon giggled. "Silly goose. You wanna bargain, you have to have something that I want. You don't."

Dean scoffed. "So, is this your big plan, huh? Drag me to hell. Kill them. And then what? Become queen bitch?"

Lilith glared at him. "I don't have to answer to puppy chow."

She walked slowly over to the door. "No!" Piper screamed, trying to get away from the floor. "No!"

Lilith opened the door, disturbing the goofer dust. She looked at Dean and smiled. "Sic 'em, boy."

Dean tried to move, but couldn't get away. Piper's world stopped again. She could see that Sam was screaming, but could hear nothing but the tearing of Dean's flesh as the hellhound tore into him. His screams as it attacked his chest, the chest she'd laid her head on so many times.

Suddenly, sound came back to her. "Dean! Dean, no!" she was screaming, tears running down her face.

"Stop it!" Sam bellowed, somehow able to move now.

Dean wasn't screaming anymore. "Dean, Dean!" Piper sobbed, trying to go to him. "Dean!"

Sam was moving toward Dean. "No!"

"Yes." A smug voice said.

Lilith held out her hand, a bright white light starting to glow there. Sam knelt quickly and covered Piper, who was still struggling to get to Dean. The white light exploded around them, and Sam held his hand over her eyes and covered her body with his. When the light faded, they looked around.

Nothing had happened, and Lilith looked a little scared. _Good,_ Piper thought venomously.

Sam stood and approached the demon. She held her hand up. "Back."

Sam didn't stop. "I said, back!" Lilith demanded shrilly.

Sam bent to pick up the demon knife. "I don't think so."

Lilith tilted her head back and vacated the body she was in.

Piper was free to move again. She moved to Dean, afraid to touch him, afraid not to. She touched his face, wincing as she realized his body was already cooling. "Oh, God, Dean, baby, no," she started to moan, leaving her hand on his face.

Sam was kneeling on the other side of Dean, pulling his brother into his arms. "Dean, come on, no…"

Piper didn't have any words in her. _No…_

Piper watched her best friend rock her dead lover back and forth, feeling a part of her shatter.

 **xxxxx**

 **A/N: Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural, or the characters (heartbroken).**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	22. What a Spectacularly Stupid Question

_One Week After Dean Winchester's Death_

Bobby didn't know what to do. He stood at Piper's door, unsure. She hadn't spoken since they had gotten back. She had just gone straight up to her room and shut the door behind her. He hadn't seen her since.

He knew she was leaving the room every night to take long showers. Hours long showers. The water must have been freezing by the time she got out. But she never woke him during those times, just walked back to her room and locked herself in again. She didn't eat, he didn't know if she even slept. She just stayed in there.

Sam was just as bad. He had disappeared right after they had gotten back, and now he wasn't answering Bobby's calls.

He lost one of his kids, and now the other two were falling apart.

 **xxxxx**

Piper lay on her bed on her back, blankets piled around her. She stared up at the ceiling, tears leaking slowly from her eyes. She felt emptied, a husk of a human being.

She had cried heavily for the first day, but she was probably dehydrated, so it had slowed to a trickle. Her whole body ached, but she had barely moved. She was so tired, but she couldn't sleep.

Dean was dead. She winced as she thought of it. If she thought about it for too long, she would give herself a panic attack. Dean was dead, and in hell, enduring God knew what, and Piper didn't understand how she was supposed to just live with that forever.

 **xxxxx**

A long time later (or a short time, she really wasn't keeping track), Piper's phone buzzed. She left it.

It buzzed again, and she left it.

When it buzzed a third time, Piper was annoyed. It was the first emotion that she let herself feel since Dean had died.

She flipped it open and placed it against her ear, silent.

"Piper. Leave your room so Bobby will stop calling me."

She frowned at the anger in Sam's voice. "Where are you?" she rasped.

"Just leave your room, Piper." He disconnected.

She threw her phone back onto the ground and stared up at the ceiling some more, letting her feelings and her thoughts drain away.

 **xxxxx**

She must have fallen asleep, because when she woke up, she was in a familiar white room, in a familiar white nightgown, with a familiar man dozing in the chair next to her bed.

"What the hell am I doing back here?" she rasped angrily, trying to clear her throat.

The man jumped, then looked at her. "Oh, you're awake, good, good." He yawned. "I was starting to get worried."

She surveyed his resting form. "Clearly."

He sat up and seemed to be unsure. "Piper, how are you?"

"What a spectacularly stupid question."

He winced at the bite in her voice. "Yeah, fair. Look, I'm just trying to… Help."

"By kidnapping me?"

He rolled his eyes. "Don't flatter yourself, precious. You haven't been kidnapped, this is just the safest place for us to talk."

She raised an eyebrow. "Safe?"

A rakish smile crossed his face. "Being a trickster means that not everyone I meet is enthralled with my fabulous personality."

"Ugh. What do you want?" she snapped, laying back down onto the pillows. Even if she couldn't stare at her ceiling, she could stare at _a_ ceiling.

She heard him shift uncomfortably. "Piper, you need to get out of the house."

"Why would you care about what I do with my grief?" she asked, tears starting to pool in her eyes.

"I don't, usually. I don't particularly like humans. But like I said before, I like you, and I want to help."

Piper sighed. "Look, if I don't listen to Bobby, or to Sam, why would I listen to you?"

He frowned and stood up, irritated. "Fine." Before she could react, he put two fingers to her forehead, and darkness engulfed her.

 **xxxxx**

She woke up gradually, in her own bed. Her heart still ached, but her body didn't hurt anymore. She sat up slowly, and realized that she was hungry. For the first time in over a week, she was hungry.

She slowly made her way to the kitchen, realizing that it was early morning. She started to gather what she needed for waffles, moving silently.

She sensed when Bobby entered the kitchen. Without turning around, she asked, "Do you want coffee, Bobby?"

She wasn't surprised in the least when she felt her arm pulled so she faced him, and when he pulled her into a hug. She felt her tears start flowing again, and clung to him. "Bobby, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be," he said gruffly, and Piper heard the undercurrent of emotions in the words. "Don't be."

 **xxxxx**

 _Two Weeks After Dean Winchester's Death_

"Jesus, Sam, you smell like a brewery."

Sam had finally given in and told Piper where he was. She had been actually living at Bobby's for the last few days, getting up and cooking and tentatively beginning to find cases. She called other hunters to work them, but hey, work was work.

She had been periodically been trying to get Sam to talk to her, and he had finally told her where he was.

"Shut up, Pipe, and come inside."

She stepped inside and surveyed the motel room while he shut the door behind her.

"Gross, Sam," she said mildly. The place was pretty messy, but luckily the only thing that smelled bad was him.

"Drink?" he asked slowly, moving to stand next to her.

She wrinkled her nose. "Shouldn't you take a cold shower, Sam?"

He hmphed. "Shut up, Piper. You're not my mother."

She put a hand on her hip and pointed. "Go. Now, Winchester."

He glared at her for a minute, but seemed to realize that she wasn't backing down. He got some stuff from his bag and walked into the bathroom.

A short time later, he came back out to find her sitting at the table with the bottle of tequila he had with him on the table. She had cleaned quickly while he was in the shower, moving the dirty laundry to a pile near the door, straightening the bed.

She smiled. "Shot?"

 **xxxxx**

Piper was definitely tipsy. They drank in silence that was alternately very comfortable and totally deafening until he spoke.

"I tried to make a deal."

Piper's eyes widened. "You what?"

"I tried to make a deal to save Dean."

"Before or after he…"

He chuckled. "Both, honestly."

She shook her head and leaned across the table at him. "Sam, I get it, I do, but they're not going to deal with us. They're all too afraid of Lilith."

He nodded. "Yeah, that's what the demon told me."

She took his hand between hers. "Sam…" She didn't have the words. It had been happening a lot since Dean had died. She seemed to have run out of them. "I miss him, too," she whispered, tears filling her eyes.

They lapsed back into silence until Piper dropped her head onto her folded arms and shut her eyes. She had been sleeping much more often this last week, and while she was slowly dialing it back, these few hours had been the longest time she had been awake in a while.

"Pipe, go ahead and take the bed. I'll sleep on the floor."

She raised her head and frowned. "No, Sam, it's okay, I'll just wait the alcohol out and head home."

He shook his head, stood, and guided her to her feet with his hands on her shoulders. "No, Pipe, come on, you're too tired to drive all the way home."

He guided her to the bed, where she gave in. She slipped out of her shoes and her jacket and curled up on top of the covers. "Just a couple of hours, then I'm out," she mumbled into the pillow.

 **xxxxx**

Piper woke up groggy with a headache. She groaned and sat up, head to her hand, trying to keep her brain in her skull. She looked over and paused. At some point, Sam had crawled into bed next to her. It reminded her of when they were kids, so she smiled as she gingerly got out of bed to go to the bathroom.

Once her face was washed and her hair finger-combed, she came out of the bathroom to find Sam sitting up and looking at her strangely. "Hey, Sam, I'm gonna head home, okay?" she said gently, approaching him slowly.

He stood and came toward her, and Piper suppressed the urge to take a step back. He needed comfort, and she did, too. "Sam?"

He moved quickly then, wrapping a hand around the back of her head and pressing his lips to hers. For one awful moment, Piper thought about kissing him back. It was Sam, and she was lonely, and this was comfort… But Dean was barely two weeks in the ground, and this was a betrayal.

Instead, she went cold with anger and ripped her face away from his. "Sam, what the hell?"

He looked at her in that way again, and when he raised his hand to touch her again, she punched him in the face. She had to go up on tiptoe to get the most force out of it, but she was satisfied.

He clutched his jaw and looked at her, horrified. "Pipe, Jesus, I'm so sorry."

She made sure her keys were in her jacket as she walked to the door. "Yeah."

She slammed the door behind her.

 **xxxxx**

When she got home, she sat at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee, thinking, until Bobby found her there.

"How's Sam?"

"Drunk."

"Uh-huh." Bobby was looking at her with anger starting to form in his eyes. "Did he-"

She shook her head. "He tried to kiss me, but I punched him in the face and he backed off."

Bobby nodded. "All right, then, good." He looked at her nervously. "What's next?"

She met his eyes. "I need a case."

 **xxxxx**

 **A/N: Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural, or the characters (heartbroken).**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	23. Let's Never Talk About it Again

_Six Weeks After Dean Winchester's Death_

 _Leave a message._ Beep. _Piper, good job on that shifter in Tennessee. Stupid to go on your own, though. Call me back._

 _Leave a message._ Beep. _Piper, five vampires? You could have gotten yourself killed. Get your ass home, girl, so I can beat it._

 _Leave a message._ Beep. _Piper, would you call Bobby so he'll leave me alone?_

 **xxxxx**

" _Never forgive!"_ the spirit snarled before Piper shot it with buckshot, moving backwards the whole time.

"Shut up, already, I get it, you're mad," she muttered as she ran to the room where the woman had hung herself years before. The house had been abandoned, and somehow nobody had noticed the freaking _body_ in the attic.

After the salt and burn was done, Piper drove back to her motel. Once inside, she microwaved the cup of noodles she had gotten and sat down to listen to her voicemails.

 _Call me back. Get your ass home. Call Bobby._

She couldn't go home. If she rested for too long, she started to think again, and thinking hurt. Thinking led to crying jags and late night drinking. So, instead, she hunted.

She flipped open her laptop and perused news sites. Hm, some mysterious deaths in Florida _(So much f'ed up crap happens in Florida)_. Yeah, okay, not that one.

Bloodless bodies found in Denver, though. She smiled as she finished her noodles. This one.

 **xxxxx**

 _Leave a message._ Beep. _Piper, I'm sending someone to help you. He… Takes a little getting used to. If you won't let me help, at least let him._

She rode up in the elevator of the hotel, machete hidden under her jacket. Her blood was singing, her mind crystal clear, her emotions taking a backseat.

Three vampires. Shouldn't be hard.

She approached the door and unlocked it with the key card she had stolen off of the maid. She opened the door and walked in, head held high, machete in her hand, openly carrying it now.

"What the f-" Three vampires, two women and one man, turned to look at her. "Who the hell are you?"

Piper slowly turned, shut the door, and locked it.

When she turned back, one of the woman's eyes had gone wide. "You're… You're Piper Finley."

Piper felt a feral smile stretch across her face. "Bingo." Then she was moving.

The man first. He tried to grab her, underestimating her. He was easy, one quick swing and he was down.

The woman who hadn't recognized her used the opportunity to tackle her to the ground. Piper fought with her, rolling her over and over until she was on top. Piper tried to find the third vampire, but she couldn't. She took the machete in both hands and pressed it against the vamp's neck, beheading her.

Piper jumped up and looked around, spotting the third vampire backed into a corner, whimpering. "Please, please, I'll be good, no more killing humans."

Piper killed her anyway.

 **xxxxx**

As she was walking back to her car, a voice called out to her. "Piper?"

She turned and laid eyes on the skinniest man she'd ever seen in her life. "Who's asking?"

He grinned. "Garth Fitzgerald the fourth," he introduced cheerfully, extending his hand. Piper shook it cautiously. "Bobby sent me to help out."

"With the vampires?"

He shrugged. "With whatever you're hunting. Buddy system!" he spouted cheerfully.

"Oh, Christ."

"Neat hair."

 **xxxxx**

 _Ten Weeks Since Dean Winchester's Death_

A month later, Garth had grown on Piper. He was a perfect gentleman, had started to make her laugh again, and was a good hunter. She could have done a lot worse.

"So, I'm thinking Indiana next, there's some bodies there," she said over breakfast.

Garth gave her a look, then put his fork down. "Look, Smalls, I know you're trying to run yourself ragged." She glared at him, and he ignored her. "And you're doing a good job. But I need some sleep, yo."

She cocked an eyebrow. "I can go by myself, _yo."_

"Or you could go home," he suggested calmly.

"Screw you, Garth," she snapped.

He waited her out, and it irritated her. Garth had never taken the bait, never let her start a fight with him, never responded when she cried or called him names. Garth was just… Garth.

"I can't, Fitz," she whispered.

He reached across the table and took her hand. "Look, Smalls, I get it. I do. I know you're hurting, and I know you miss Dean." He was the only hunter she knew who was so comfortable talking about feelings. It wigged her out frequently, but it was also kind of nice. He was also probably the only person who could say Dean's name without her wanting to punch him in the face. "But you should go home. Get some rest. Cook Bobby a decent meal. You guys are family, you need each other."

She gripped his hand tightly, unable to look at him. "Garth, I… I don't know."

He smiled gently at her. "I know you don't, dummy, that's why I'm telling you."

She smiled.

 **xxxxx**

Bobby went to the door when he heard the Jeep's engine. When he saw Piper, he tried to hide his shock. She had lost weight, but had more wiry muscle at the same time. There were a few new scars, the most jarring was the line just below her right eye.

"Piper, you're back."

She nodded sheepishly, stopping at the stairs. "I'm sorry, Bobby. Garth convinced me to come back."

He shook his head. "Don't apologize, just come here."

He caught her gratefully as she threw herself into his arms.

 **xxxxx**

 _Twelve Weeks After Dean Winchester's Death_

"Garth! Go get the beer from the fridge in the basement!" Piper shouted out of Bobby's kitchen.

He saluted her as he walked through. "Yes, ma'am!"

She was in the kitchen with Ellen, cooking for Bobby, Garth, and Jo. It was impromptu, but Piper felt something besides being dead inside start to fill her heart. It was… Kind of nice.

"How you holding up, baby?" Ellen asked softly.

Piper surveyed the kitchen and realized that there was nothing to do for a few minutes, so she got the last two beers in the fridge and handed one to the older woman. "I don't know. It comes in waves. I think I'm all right right now." Garth had gotten her to talk about what was going on in her head, and as much as she had wanted to strangle him during that particular conversation, she did feel better.

Ellen met her eyes with sympathy. "I know what it's like to lose a man you love. If you need me, let me know."

And there it was. Right out in the open. She was in love with Dean Winchester, and now everyone knew it, three months after he was dead. Tears filled her eyes as she hugged Ellen. "Thank you," she whispered.

Garth came back through with the beer. "Let's eat, ladies," he said cheerfully.

 **xxxxx**

That night was hard. Three months to the day. Now that she thought about it, Bobby had probably called everyone there to keep her busy all day. She would be grateful later, for now she was devastated.

She was crying, clutching her pillow, when her phone rang. She saw the caller ID, debated for a moment, then flipped it open. "Sam."

"Piper. Come outside." He hung up.

She debated again for another long moment. She didn't appreciate being barked orders through a phone, especially since he had tried to kiss her the last time she saw him, and because he'd pretty much ignored her since then. She sighed as she wiped her face and swung herself around to stand, pulling on a sundress and flip flops. It was Sam, of course she would go.

When she went outside, he was leaning against a silver sedan. She frowned. "Where's Baby?"

"I didn't want Bobby to hear and come out."

She sighed. "Sam, I'm not sneaking around with you behind Bobby's back. You have to talk to him sometime."

Sam shook his head. She was standing close to him now, almost close enough to touch.

"Three months."

She felt like she had been punched in the chest, but she was used to it, so she nodded. "Three months."

Sam looked at her, pain etched on his face. "Pipe, I'm sorry, I know I've been a jerk."

She nodded, but was stepping forward into his arms, resting her head on his chest. "Yeah, but it's okay, Sam. I get it."

His arms came around her and he held her close. "Still, I shouldn't have-"

She smiled and looked up at him. "Let's never talk about it again, okay? Kissing my brother is not something I want to relive."

He laughed. "Yeah, kissing you wasn't so hot, either."

She rested her head against him again. "Oh, Sam. I miss him so much."

"Me, too, Pipe."

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi everyone! Here's my notes:  
**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**

 **Reviews, comments, and kudos give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	24. Give It a Week

_Fourteen Weeks After Dean Winchester's Death_

"Smalls! Move!" Piper ducked as Garth swung the iron fire poker through the vengeful spirit behind her.

"Shit! Run! Run!" she shouted as they ran down the hallway. Her heart thundered in her chest, and something inside her celebrated as they fled into her Jeep.

She had thought she was getting better. She had felt okay after the cookout, but last week it had hit hard again. Instead of becoming catatonic again, she had called Garth. And bless him, he had come without question.

They were hunting nonstop again, four cases in a week. Garth didn't say a word, but she knew he was worried. But bless him, he just came with her and had her back.

"Do we know where she's buried?" she asked, driving away quickly.

"Cedar Oaks Cemetery. About four miles from here. Shovel in the back?" he asked cheerfully, still breathing hard.

She nodded.

Later, they were digging the grave in shifts, when Garth spoke up. "You should try yoga, Smalls."

She snorted, watching him work. "Yeah, no."

He shrugged as he dug deeper. "Centers the mind." The shovel struck wood. "Paydirt."

 **xxxxx**

Later that night, Piper was sitting on her bed with a bottle of whiskey in her hand. Whiskey made her think of Dean, which hurt, but drinking it made her feel closer to him, which hurt in a better way.

"Smalls, come on," Garth said when he spotted the bottle. "That's not going to help."

"You can't possibly know that for sure."

He sat on the bed next to her, hand on her knee. "Piper, come on. This isn't working. You're going to get yourself killed."

She met his gaze evenly, saying nothing.

His eyes widened. "Smalls, that's crazy! You can't be going on kamikaze missions in some crazy attempt at, what? Dying? Dying so you can get back to Dean?"

"Shut up, Garth."

He ignored the warning in her voice. "Piper, first of all, no way you're going to hell, so get that idea right out of your mind." He saw her fist clench. "Go ahead and hit me if it will make you feel better, but it won't."

She relaxed. "Garth…"

"Second," he ignored her, "What would it do to Bobby if you were gone? If he knew you had killed yourself because of Dean?"

The silence between them drew out to several minutes. Piper held back as long as she could, but god dammit, she just couldn't ignore Garth. "I'm not trying to kill myself. I just…" she thought for a moment, and he let her. "When I'm hunting, when I'm fighting, it doesn't hurt. I just need it to stop hurting, Garth." Her eyes filled with tears, and she dashed them away angrily. "I just need it to stop."

"Well, it's not going to." he said bluntly. Her eyebrows rose, and he shrugged. "It's just not. I never met Dean, but you loved him, and that's enough for me. And if he was good enough for you to love, he was good enough to want more for you. More than this. Come on, Smalls. We can do this together, or you can do it alone, but it's gotta be done." He smiled his crooked smile at her. "What do you say?"

She looked at him for a long time before leaning forward and kissing him on the cheek. "Okay."

 **xxxxx**

 _Fifteen Weeks After Dean Winchester's Death_

"That looks… Disgusting." Bobby said, wincing as he looked at the smoothie Piper had in her hand.

She wrinkled her nose. "It is, but it's supposed to align my chakras, or some stupid shit, so here we are."

Since she had flat-out refused to go to a grief counselor ("Bobby, I would have to lie about everything that happened, what good would that do?"), she was trying more nontraditional methods of handling grief. They weren't working, but it gave her something to do.

Bobby had put his foot down and asked her to stop hunting, at least for a while. Since her conversation with Garth, she agreed. So she had a lot of free time on her hands.

She did end up liking yoga. She used it as an endurance test, and spent a few hours a day in the backyard, headphones in, meditating, moving slowly but with strength. It wasn't helping her emotions, and she would never tell Garth, but it was helping her clear her mind.

She knew that she needed to get out of the rut she was in. Dean wasn't coming back, they had tried everything, so she needed to do something. Something had to give.

She cleared her throat. "Hey, Bobby, I'm going to go out tonight. Just," she interrupted his almost interruption, holding her hands up, "Just to the bar in town. Nothing crazy. Just cabin fever."

He nodded, eyeing her carefully. "Okay, just… Just be careful, Piper."

She pretended to be shocked. "Bobby, careful is my middle name."

His derisive snort was answer enough.

 **xxxxx**

 _Okay, so I hate this._

Piper was sitting at the bar, listening to the band, and begrudgingly tapping her fingers to the beat. Her enjoyment stopped there. The place was crawling with people, which she had for some reason not foreseen. But she didn't want to go home, because Bobby would look at her with that stupid pitying look, and she was tired as hell of that.

She was interrupted by a voice calling her name incredulously. _"Piper?"_

She turned and met shockingly blue eyes. Stricken, she wracked her brain for his name, the man she'd been with the night before she had been swept back up into Winchester land.

He knew what she was doing and laughed out loud. "It's Ken, Piper."

She laughed. "Oh, my God, I'm so sorry, Ken, hi!"

They hugged and he pointed. "I have a booth saved over there, and I'm alone tonight. Join me?"

She looked into his eyes and only fought with herself for a moment. "Yeah, yeah, I will."

 **xxxxx**

"Jesus, Piper, I'm so sorry." He looked like he meant it.

She had just told him a very abridged version of what had happened in the last two years. She nodded. "Yeah, it's been really shitty. But one day at a time."

He smiled. "Well, I'm glad you were here tonight." He reached across the table and took her hand, and she let him.

She was fighting an internal battle. Dean wasn't coming back, and she had become kind of addicted to someone sleeping in bed with her. Ken was pretty great, a rockstar in bed, and he was gorgeous to boot. And he looked nervous, which was kind of endearing after dealing with Dean's cocksure way of going through life.

"Piper, I hope I'm not being too forward, but, um…" He took a deep breath and laughed at himself. "Jesus, I feel like a high schooler again. Would you do me the honor of coming home with me?"

She looked into his blue eyes for a long time, and came to a decision.

 **xxxxx**

She got home okay, stumbling through the door to sit at the kitchen table and rest her head on it. She turned to rest on her cheek as the light came on and Bobby came in. "Piper? Is everything okay?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yeah, it is."

He frowned. "What happened?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. A really nice guy that I knew from a while ago asked me out, I turned him down, then I came home."

He sat down across from her, looking uncomfortable. Piper was just drunk enough to enjoy his discomfort. Bobby didn't like these kinds of conversations.

"Why, uh… Dammit. Why didn't you go out with him?" He asked in a rush.

She shrugged. "I can't yet, Bobby." She thought for a moment. "Not yet, but I think maybe someday I will be able to. And that's pretty freaking big progress, so I don't want to hear it, okay?"

He nodded. "Okay, then. Go to bed, Piper, it's late."

 **xxxxx**

She was in her bedroom with her laptop, looking through news websites, looking for a case. She thought she might go on her own, and just get back to it for a while. This healing at home crap was kind of for the birds.

She must have fallen asleep, because she woke up again in that damn white bedroom. "You have got to be kidding me."

The trickster grinned, standing at the end of the bed. "Miss me?"

She glared at him. "Can't you just come to me? Or call me, if you feel an overwhelming urge to talk to me? This is getting old."

He shook his head. "Nope. Now, listen, I know you're looking for a case. Don't."

She raised her eyebrows. "Oh, I love it when men tell me what to do. I'll jump right on that."

He groaned. "Piper, just… Hear me out. Give it a week. One week, starting tomorrow, and just stay with the old man at home. Please."

He had never asked nicely for something. She frowned, searching his face. "I know you from somewhere, don't I?" she asked softly.

"Doesn't matter, precious. Please, give it one week." He looked earnestly at her.

She groaned and flopped her head back. "Fine."

He was silent, so she lifted her head to see what he was doing. She had enough time to start to frown before his two fingers touched her forehead and she fell into darkness again.

 **xxxxx**

She sat up in bed, infuriated. "God dammit," she muttered, wiping her eyes. It was already morning, and she felt no ill effects from drinking last night. Which was unusual, but she wasn't looking any gift horses in the mouth.

"One week," she said wonderingly to herself. "He wants me to stay here for one week."

And even though it irritated her the whole next six days, she did. For the next six days, she cooked, sent cases to other hunters, helped Garth on research, and meditated.

And on the seventh, she couldn't have left even if she wanted to.

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi everyone! Here's my notes:  
**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	25. I Got Out

The reunion was not going the way Dean had anticipated.

On his way to Bobby's place, he had envisioned meeting the people he loved again. Laughing with Bobby, hugging Sam, and kissing Piper until he forgot his name.

The first problem was that Sammy wasn't there. And apparently hadn't been for a while. Bobby told him that Sam wasn't answering Bobby's or Piper's calls. Where the hell was his younger brother?

The second problem was that Bobby attacked him three times before believing that he was who he was. Which was irritating, but understandable and not that big a deal in the long run.

The third problem was that Piper wasn't in the kitchen with him.

"Where is Piper?" he asked, trying to be casual.

"Uh, out back," Bobby said hesitantly. He sat down across from Dean. "Listen, Dean, let me talk to her before you do. She's been through a lot."

Dean frowned. "So have I, Bobby. She'll be happy to see me."

"Oh, I don't know. I think she's going to be pissed off something fierce."

"Why would she be mad that I'm back?" Dean pushed his chair back and stood, already walking out of the kitchen. "I'll go find her."

"Dammit, Dean, sit down and-"

That was all Dean heard before he walked to the back door, opening it slowly and looking out.

She was pretty far out into the backyard, on a blanket. She was balancing on her left leg, her right leg up in the air, her left hand clasped around her left ankle, and her right arm pointing straight up. She was facing away from him, and he could see the dangle of headphone cords.

He frowned. She had lost a pretty significant amount of weight, and her hair was long and hadn't been dyed back to vibrant purple… It was in a very pale, lavender braid. What was going on?

He approached slowly, a smile spreading across his face as he heard AC/DC coming through the headphones that she had turned her head to drop. He had opened his mouth to speak when she beat him to it.

 **xxxxx**

Piper sensed someone coming out into the yard, someone who wasn't Bobby. She didn't turn, just held her pose. Whoever it was approached slowly.

She turned her head enough that the buds nestled in her ears fell away from her. She slowly lowered her right leg, coming to a standing position on an inhale.

"Can I help you?"

"Piper, I'm back."

Her entire body stiffened. She turned around slowly to look at Dean. To look at something wearing Dean.

She felt rage start to pulse through her.

 **xxxxx**

She was mad. She was _really_ mad.

"Piper, baby, it's me, I got out."

Her silence was starting to make him nervous. _Maybe should have let Bobby talk to her…_

"I don't know what you are," her voice was soft, dangerous. She never broke eye contact, and she didn't move. They were close enough that he could touch her, but he liked all of his limbs attached, so he stayed still. "And I don't know why you're here for me," she continued, oblivious to his fear. "Maybe I exorcised the wrong demon, killed the wrong shifter." She shrugged. "It doesn't really matter."

She took a step closer, looking up into his face. "What does matter, though, is that coming to me wearing the face of Dean Winchester was a pretty big mistake."

He saw her tense, and before he could defend himself, she knocked him out cold.

 **xxxxx**

Dean woke up in the kitchen, tied to a chair, watching Bobby and Piper argue.

"God dammit, Piper, I already did all the tests, and you know I'm not a demon."

"I know no such thing," she snarled. "Dean is in _hell,_ Bobby, you don't get to just walk out of there. That's not Dean." She pointed at him.

"Yeah, I am, Pipes, and-" Dean was cut off when she backhanded him, tears shimmering in her eyes.

"You keep that name out of your mouth when you talk to me," she said softly. She turned back to Bobby. "I want both of you to take the tests. And if you won't, I'm shooting both of you and moving to Canada to take up bird-watching. I'm not kidding, Bobby, do it."

When they had both been sliced with a silver knife and had holy water splashed into their faces (Dean was getting pretty damn tired of people hitting him with holy water), Piper sat down. She was pale and drawn, silent, just watching as Bobby slowly untied Dean.

Bobby stood back up and made his way to the front door. "I'm going to leave you two alone to, uh, talk. Piper, don't kill him again."

When the door slammed shut, Dean turned to look at her. She wasn't looking at him, so he took the opportunity to study her. He wasn't pleased. She had more scars than he remembered, and she had definitely lost weight. She was still the most beautiful thing he'd ever laid eyes on, but she looked… Harder.

"Piper?"

She turned to look at him, and her eyes looked lost. Dean wanted to pick her up and carry her away, but thought that touching her might be a mistake. "Yes, Dean?"

"Are you okay?"

A ghost of a smile touched her lips. "Not remotely." She took a deep breath. "How did you get out?"

He decided on honesty. "I have no idea, I'm just grateful."

She shook her head. "You don't understand. You were in _ribbons._ I was too scared to

touch you, I thought you would break apart." Her voice broke in the last word, and tears started to fall down her cheeks. The urge to take her in his arms was almost overpowering. He wrestled with it for a moment, and won.

"I don't know what's going on. I should look like a Thriller reject."

She turned away again, then sighed and stood. "Okay, then." She seemed to gather her thoughts. "I guess I'll go make up your and Sam's room."

He stood and blocked her way to the rest of the house. "Kitten, look at me."

She did, her chest heaving. "What?"

He reached out to touch her arm and she jerked herself back. "Don't," she asked softly.

He frowned. "Piper, what is it? What's wrong?"

She laughed harshly, and he winced. What had happened to his girl? "What's wrong? What _isn't_ wrong, Dean? You went to hell. I saw them drag you there myself. I stood at your funeral. I have been _grieving_ for four months, I've been going crazy, and now you're just here, in front of me, real." She took a deep breath. "I just need a second to adjust, Dean. I was…" she looked down. "I was trying to move on, to deal with you being dead, and now I don't need to, so I just need a second."

This wasn't what he envisioned when he saw her again. He had expected her throwing herself into his arms, he expected her to hit him, he expected her to cry. He hadn't expected her to not want to touch him. "Is there someone else?" he asked softly, angry.

She stilled, then looked up at him, furious again. "You… You think you died, and I jumped into bed with the first person who asked?" Her voice was low and dangerous again.

He saw the hit coming this time and caught her arm as she swung at him. "I swear to God, Piper, if you hit me again-"

She yanked her arm away from him. "Screw you, Winchester, you don't get to tell me what to do." She shoved past him and walked up the stairs. "Make up your own damn bed."

 **xxxxx**

Piper was laying on her bed again, staring up at the ceiling. She hadn't moved since she had slammed the door on Dean.

 _Dean._ How was he back? How was she supposed to react? Did she kiss him for being back, did she hit him for leaving?

Bobby had knocked about an hour earlier, asking if she wanted to come down to eat. She had stayed silent, not trusting herself to speak. She might burst into tears.

She was laying in the quiet, willing herself to calm down, when Dean started pounding on the door.

"God dammit, Piper, enough. Let me in."

She frowned at the door. "Go away, Dean."

More pounding. "No, Piper, let me in, we're going to talk about this." She was silent. "Piper," his voice was rough with warning, and she tried to ignore the shiver it sent through her. "Open this door, or so help me I will break it down."

She fought with herself. She shouldn't give in to his demands, it was a terrible precedent to set now that he was back.

She stopped. _Dean was back._ He was back, he was everything to her, and she hadn't lost him. She could be angry later, but for now she wanted to see him, to touch him, to show him how much she had missed him.

She stood, unlocked the door, and opened it slowly. Her breath caught as she looked at him, angrily staring down at her. He was beautiful.

She stepped back to let him into the room, not taking her eyes off of him as she closed the door. The tension skyrocketed, she could feel every frustrated move he was making down to her bones. She wanted him.

"What do you want to say?" she said softly, meeting his eyes. She watched their green depths darken, and his body shifted. She trembled in anticipation.

 **xxxxx**

"What do you want to say?"

Dean looked at her, the frustration thrumming through his veins quickly turning into a different kind of tension. She was still too thin, she had a scar under her right eye that they were going to have a serious talk about, but he way she was looking at him set him on edge.

" _Piper,"_ he growled, taking two long strides to her. He grabbed her at the waist and pushed her up against the wall, her arms going around his neck with a soft cry as he kissed her hard.

He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he set her up against the wall, hands kneading her ass. He was desperate for her, he was drowning and she was the only way to breathe.

She was running her fingers through his hair, whimpering into his mouth and grinding herself down onto his cock. "Dean," she moaned into his mouth, tugging at his hair to tilt his head back so she could run her teeth against his neck.

" _Christ,_ Piper," he gasped. He picked her up and turned around, tumbling onto the bed with her in a tangle of limbs.

He pulled her shirt off even as she was tugging at his. "Pants," he said roughly as he reached behind him to pull his shirt off. He stood briefly to unbuckle his jeans and rid himself of them, eyes glued to the sight of her naked and waiting for him to come to her.

He fell back onto her, nuzzling her neck and pushing his hand down to caress her core. She was already warm and wet, and he slid a finger into her easily. Her back arched and her nails scraped down his back, making him dizzy for a second.

"Dean, God, please, _now,"_ she gasped, biting his shoulder hard.

He moved between her legs and entered her roughly, then stilled. "Christ, you're tight," he murmured into her ear, relishing in the gasp that earned him. "This is going to be rough, kitten," he growled as he started moving in and out of her.

She cried out, writhing beneath him. He sat back and put his hands under her knees, adjusting her angle, and started pounding into her. She pulled the pillow out from underneath her head and covered her mouth with it, but he could still hear her muffled cries, and they were driving him to the edge.

He moved his hand down and moved his thumb in tight circles on her clit, watching her clench and cry out in response. Her orgasm seemed to last forever, pulling him down with her. Ecstasy tore through him, and he collapsed on top of her, nuzzling her neck as they both came down.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him. "Welcome home, baby."

 **xxxxx**

They spent two days in bed while Bobby tracked Sam down. Piper suspected that he was giving more time together, he probably already knew where Sam was, and she was grateful.

She had just snuck down to grab leftovers out of the fridge, warmed them in the microwave, grabbed two forks and ran back upstairs. Dean was sitting on the bed, his back against the wall, blankets around his waist. She was distracted for a moment by his bare chest, then kicked the door shut behind her and joined him.

He pulled her close and she went willingly, curling into him and handing him a fork. "Spaghetti," she told him, laying her head on his shoulder and enjoying her position for a moment.

They ate in silence, his thumb rubbing circles into her lower back. Once it was gone, she added it to the pile of dishes and silverware they had acquired. Dean ate like he was starving, and she found herself starving more often than not, too.

When she came back to him, he lay on his back and settled her on top of him. She went to lay her head on his chest, but he tilted her head up with a finger under her chin and examined her face.

She smiled at the scrutiny. "Like what you see?" she teased.

His thumb ran across her cheek, touching the scar under her right eye. "Where did this come from?"

She closed her eyes and leaned into his hand. "Shifter in New Orleans. He almost got me, thank God for Garth."

He stilled and she opened her eyes to see him glaring at her. She laughed as he asked, "Who is Garth?"

She leaned forward and kissed him, purring with satisfaction when he responded. "Not a threat to you, caveman," she murmured against his lips. "He's a friend, a really good friend. He helped me a lot while you were… Gone."

He sighed and pulled her down for another kiss. "Piper, what happened while I was gone?"

She nestled her head under his chin, unable to look at him while she said this. "I got a little reckless. I hunted pretty much nonstop until Bobby sent Garth to help. Garth convinced me to slow down a little." She thought for a second. "Which was a good thing, because I'm lucky I didn't get seriously hurt. That vampire nest in Odessa wasn't my brightest move."

"You… You hunted an entire nest… Of vampires… _By yourself?"_ he rumbled underneath her, clearly irritated.

"Yes, and I'm fine." She lifted her head to look at him, her hair spilling onto his chest. "It was stupid, but I did it, and I'm fine."

He groaned and tilted his head back. "That is both the dumbest and hottest thing I've ever heard."

She grinned as he looped an arm around her waist and rolled her until she was under him. "Hottest thing, huh?" She started nibbling on his collarbone as he let his hand drift down, his fingers starting a familiar rhythm on her clit.

"My Piper, in black leather, walking into a room full of vamps with a machete?" He smiled and bent down to lick the side of her neck, his fingers causing her to arch her back. "Very sexy."

She was laughing. "Dean, I wasn't in black leather," she protested, feeling the words 'My Piper' down in her soul.

"Don't ruin this for me woman, hush," he admonished as he kissed his way down her stomach.

She hushed.

 **xxxxx**

Piper was deeply asleep when Dean had his first nightmare.

He was on his back and she was laying on his chest when he started moaning. She woke up groggy, trying to figure out what was wrong. He had broken into a sweat and was starting to thrash.

He tensed, and she moved just in time to avoid his attack. He lunged at the spot she had been in just after she flung herself away, landing on her ass on the floor. He seemed to shake himself awake, breathing hard and trying to take in his surroundings.

She stood and slowly approached him, hands held up. "Dean?"

His head swiveled to look at her, a haunted look in his eyes.

She slowly lay a hand on his shoulder, giving him plenty of time to move away. "Dean, baby, are you okay?"

He turned quickly and crushed her to him, burying his face in her neck, his chest still heaving. She wrapped her arms around his neck and scraped her nails lightly against the hair at his nape, cooing nonsense into his ear.

He pulled her back with him soundlessly, still wrapped around her desperately. She held him, still whispering soothingly, until he fell into a fitful sleep.

 _He lied. He remembers hell._

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**

 ****Sometimes, the characters do things that make me so happy I squee. That's what Piper did in this chapter.**


	26. Neither Are You, Jackass

The next morning there was a knock at the door. "Kids?"

Piper was already awake. "What's up, Bobby?" she asked gently, hoping to let Dean sleep if it was something she could handle herself.

He hadn't slept well, and had another nightmare in the night. He had grabbed her, but she had been able to wake him up almost immediately. He had said nothing, just held her to him until they had another round of rough, desperate sex. Piper was going to be sore for days, and she could feel bruises on her hips where he had held her.

"I found Sam," Bobby said tentatively on the other side of the door.

"We'll be down in a minute."

She waited until she heard Bobby on the stairs before she started to shake Dean, leaning away from him. "Dean, baby, we gotta get up now."

He woke with a start, but tried to cover it by smiling at her. "Morning, kitten."

She leaned into his long, slow kiss for a moment before pulling away, smiling at his dissatisfied grumble. "Dean, we have to leave this bedroom eventually."

He grinned and ran his hand through her hair, tilting her head back to lay kisses on her neck. "Why?"

"Because, not only do I need to recover a little, I think Bobby found Sam." She regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth. _Dammit, Finley._

He was frowning, ignoring the second part of her statement. "Recover?"

She stopped his hand when it tried to pull the blanket off of her. "Dean," she said softly, meeting his eyes. "It doesn't matter, please don't."

He looked at her for a long moment, then ignored her and pulled the blankets up to gaze down her body. He stopped at the ring of bruises around her hips, much darker than they usually were. Even though it was a serious matter, those green eyes on her sent shivers up her spine.

He sat up, hands under her knees pulling her legs around his waist as he pulled her into the light. "Dammit, Piper, why didn't you say something?" He glared at her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Because I didn't notice, Dean. I needed you last night."

He was still frowning, but his eyes had softened. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

She smiled and leaned away from him to stand. "You didn't."

 **xxxxx**

Sam was in a motel in Pontiac, Illinois, not very far from where Dean had come back. They were walking down an unkempt hallway, stopping at room 207.

Dean knocked, and the door was opened by a pretty woman wearing only a tank top and panties. She looked like she had expected them. "So? Where is it?"

Piper frowned. "Where is what?"

"The pizza…" She examined them warily. "That takes three people to deliver?"

Dean shook his head. "I think we got the wrong room."

Suddenly Sam stepped into the light. Piper sucked in a breath. He had pretty much ignored her since the three month anniversary of Dean's passing, and they had gone back to radio silence. He looked grim. He looked like he had a secret.

Piper's eyes narrowed as Sam laid eyes on them.

She placed a hand on Dean's back in comfort as he tried to control his emotions. "Heya, Sammy."

Dean stepped into the room, past the young woman in her underwear. Piper followed, with Bobby behind her. Sam suddenly lunged at Dean, pulling a knife from his pocket.

The young woman screamed, and Piper pushed her away and ran to stand between the brothers. Bobby pulled Sam back, with some difficulty.

"Who are you?" Sam shouted, angry.

Dean scoffed, trying to push past Piper, who didn't let him. "Like you didn't do this?!"

"Do what?"

Bobby was trying to convince Sam. "It's him, we've been through this already, it's really him."

Sam slowly stopped struggling, unable to keep his eyes off of Dean. "What…"

Dean came forward slowly, staring at Sam. "I know, I look fantastic, huh?"

Bobby had let go of Sam. Sam stepped forward and pulled Dean into a long, tight hug.

Piper felt tears come to her eyes, watching them. This was what all of this had been about. She met Bobby's eyes, smiling at the tears there.

"So are you two like... Together?"

They had all forgotten about the woman who had answered the door. Piper turned and narrowed her eyes at the young woman. Ice brushed the base of her spine. She didn't like her.

Sam was taken aback by her presence, too. "What? No. No! He's my brother."

She nodded, unbelieving. "Uh… Got it. I, I guess. Look, I should probably go."

"Yeah. Yeah, that's probably a good idea. Sorry."

Piper watched silently as the young women gathered her things. When she got the door, she turned to Sam. "So, call me."

He gave her a tight smile. "Yeah, yeah, sure thing, Kathy."

"Kristy."

"Right."

Piper was glad when the woman was gone. She turned back and stood next to Dean, who had his arms crossed and was staring at Sam suspiciously as the younger brother sat down. "So tell me, what'd it cost?"

Sam looked up at him, confused. "The girl? I don't pay, Dean." Piper rolled her eyes.

Dean was not amused. "That's not funny, Sam. To bring me back. What'd it cost? Was it just your soul, or was it something worse?" Piper put her hand on Dean's back again, trying to convey comfort.

Sam was shocked. "You think I made a deal."

Bobby nodded. "That's exactly what we think."

Piper chuckled darkly. "Kind of the Winchester way."

Sam stared at her for a moment, and she met his eyes. He had totally dropped her when Dean had been gone. They should have leaned on each other, and he had left her hanging. Screw you, Sam, she thought venomously.

"Well, I didn't."

"Don't lie to me," Dean snapped.

"I'm not lying."

"So what now, I'm off the hook and you're on, is that it? You're some demon's bitch-boy? I didn't want to be saved like this!" Dean shouted, advancing on Sam.

Sam stood, glaring at his brother. "Look, Dean, I wish I had done it, all right?"

Dean grabbed Sam by the front of his shirt. "There's no other way that this could have gone down! Now tell the truth!" Piper stepped forward to put a hand on Dean's shoulder, and tried not to take it personally when he shrugged her off. This was a moment between them. She stood back next to Bobby.

Sam broke Dean's grip angrily. "I tried everything. That's the truth. I tried opening the Devil's Gate. Hell, I tried to bargain, Dean, but no demon would deal, all right? You were rotting in Hell for months. For months, and I couldn't stop it. So I'm sorry it wasn't me, all right? Dean, I'm sorry."

Dean stepped back, his face relaxing a little. "It's okay, Sammy. You don't have to apologize, I believe you."

Sam looked at Piper. "Was it you?" he asked softly. Dean swiveled to glare at her, too.

She shook her head. "No."

Dean nodded, believing her. Sam was incredulous. "So, what, you just believe Piper, but not me? Why?"

Dean shrugged. "She's smarter than both of us."

"Don't get me wrong," Bobby interrupted, "I'm gladdened that Sam's soul remains intact, but it does raise a sticky question."

Piper nodded and made eye contact with Dean. "If we didn't pull you out, then what did?"

They made their way to the couch. Piper was going to let Dean and Bobby sit, but Dean pulled her down onto his lap. He had been affectionate before, but he was very hands-on now, like he wanted to remind himself that she was still there. Piper let it happen without a word. If he needed this to be okay, then she would let him have it. "So what were you doing around here if you weren't digging me out of my grave?" Dean asked, accepting the beer Sam offered.

"Well, once I figured out I couldn't save you, I started hunting down Lilith, trying to get some payback."

Bobby scoffed. "All by yourself. Who do you think you are, your old man?"

Sam had the decency to look ashamed of himself. "Uh, yeah, I'm sorry, Bobby. I should have called. You, too, Pipe. I was pretty messed up." Piper smiled back at him when he offered her a tentative smile. She never could stay mad at Sam for very long.

Dean pointed to a pink bra that was sticking out between the sheets of the bed. "Oh yeah. I really feel your pain."

Sam chuckled. "Anyways, uh, I was checking these demons out of Tennessee, and out of nowhere they took a hard left, booked up here."

"When?"

"Two days ago."

Dean tensed. Piper wrapped her arm around his shoulders. "When I busted out."

Bobby looked at him. "You think these demons are here 'cause of you?"

Sam was confused. "But why?"

Dean shrugged. "Well, I don't know. Some badass demon drags me out and now this? It's gotta be connected somehow."

Bobby considered him for a moment. "How you feelin', anyway?"

Dean smiled. "I'm a little hungry."

Piper laughed. "You're always a little hungry." He squeezed her tighter.

Bobby shook his head. "No, I mean, do you feel like yourself? Anything strange, or different?"

Dean huffed. "Or demonic? Bobby, how many times do I have to prove I'm me?"

"Yeah. Well, listen. No demon's letting you loose out of the goodness of their hearts. They've gotta have something nasty planned."

"Well, I feel fine."

Sam frowned. "Okay, look, we don't know what they're planning. We got a pile of questions and no shovel. We need help."

Bobby snapped his fingers. "I know a psychic. A few hours from here. Something this big, maybe she's heard the other side talking."

Piper nodded. "It's worth a shot."

Bobby left the room to make his call. Dean tapped Piper on the thigh and she stood. He stood, too, placing a hand at the small of her back to guide her out.

"Hey, wait." Sam stood. "You probably want these back." He reached into his collar and pulled out the amulet that he had given Dean so long ago. He then pulled the silver ring Dean always wore and the leather bracelet from Piper out of his pocket and handed them all to Dean.

Dean took them, silent for a moment. Piper could tell he was fighting with his emotions again. "Thanks."

"Yeah, don't mention it."

Dean slipped the ring onto his finger, the bracelet onto his wrist, and pulled the amulet over his head.

"Hey Dean, what was it like?"

Piper tensed. What the hell? She couldn't understand how Sam could ask. Obviously, hell was unpleasant, especially if his nightmares were anything to go by.

Instead of getting mad or quiet, Dean shrugged. "What, Hell? I don't know, I, I must have blacked it out. I don't remember a damn thing."

Piper let her face go blank, trying not to reveal anything. Why was he lying about remembering hell? What awful thing could have happened there? The thought upset her so much she stepped forward and slipped her hand into Dean's, interlacing her fingers with his big ones.

Sam was nodding. "Well, thank God for that."

Dean nodded, too, squeezing her hand almost imperceptibly. "Yeah."

 **xxxxx**

They were in the Impala, and Piper was almost on cloud nine. She had missed being in the backseat with the brothers up front, talking about a case. Of course, this case was different, but the feeling was the same.

"There's still one thing that's bothering me."

Sam looked at Dean. "Yeah?"

Dean nodded. "Yeah, the night that I bit it. Or... Got bit." Piper reached forward and smacked him lightly on the back of his head as he chuckled at his own joke. "How'd you guys make it out? I thought Lilith was going to kill you."

Sam met Piper's eyes in the rear view. "Well, she tried. She couldn't."

"What do you mean, she couldn't?"

Sam shrugged. "She fired this, like, burning light at us, and... Didn't leave a scratch. Like I was immune or something. I covered Piper, and we were both fine."

Dean frowned. "Immune?"

"Yeah. I don't know who was more surprised, her or me. She left pretty fast after that."

Dean thought for a moment. "Huh. What about Ruby, where is she?"

"Dead. For now."

Dean was silent for a moment, biting his lip. Piper kept her eye roll on the inside. Why couldn't he just ask what he wanted to ask?

In a moment, he did. "So you've been using your, uh, freaky ESP stuff?"

Sam was surprised. "No."

"You sure about that? Well, I mean, now that you've got... Immunity, whatever the hell that is... Just wondering what other kind of weirdo crap you've got going on."

"Nothing, Dean. Look, you didn't want me to go down that road, so I didn't go down

that road. It was practically your dying wish."

 **xxxxx**

"So, you hear anything?"

They were at the psychic's house. Piper liked her, she seemed capable, and strong.

Pamela was shaking her head. "Well, I Ouija'd my way through a dozen spirits. No one seems to know who broke your boy out, or why."

"So what's next?" Piper asked, curious.

The psychic grinned at her. "A séance, I think. See if we can see who did the deed."

Bobby got a little pale. "You're not gonna... Summon the damn thing here?"

"No. I just want to get a sneak peek at it. Like a crystal ball without the crystal." She said as she led them into a small, dimly lit room.

Dean nodded and followed Piper, who was following Pamela. "I'm game."

When they walked in, Pamela was spreading a black tablecloth covered in symbols over a table in the middle of the room. She squatted in front of a cabinet, and Piper could have strangled Dean for ogling the "Jesse Forever" tattoo sprawled across Pamela's back.

"Who's Jesse?" Dean asked. _Yep, he's going to have to die._

Pamela smirked over her shoulder. "Well, it wasn't forever."

Dean grinned. "His loss." Piper glared at him evenly. _Terrible, really, I just got him back._

Pamela stood and grinned at him. "Might be your gain."

She walked away with candles in her hand, and Dean turned to Sam. "Dude."

Sam was staring wide-eyed at Piper, who was thinking how convenient it was that one could put a body in Baby's trunk. "Piper's going to kill you, Dean."

Before Dean could respond, Pamela passed through again, smiling at Sam this time. "You're invited too, grumpy."

Dean turned to Sam. "You are not invited."

Piper rolled her eyes and smacked Dean on the back of the head as she walked through the doorway. "Neither are you, jackass."

They gathered around the table, Piper squeezed between a laughing Sam and a grumbling Dean. Piper pointedly ignored him to watch Pamela light the candles.

Once she was done,the psychic joined them at the table. "Right. Take each other's hands." Piper took Sam and Dean's hands, trying not to soften when Dean gave hers a squeeze and pulled it to his lips to kiss it. _Remember that he's a jackass, Finley,_ she tried to tell herself.

"And I need to touch something our mystery monster touched," Pamela continued, winking at Piper after witnessing their exchange.

Dean looked nervously at them, then pulled off his outer shirt. He pulled up his left t-shirt sleeve to reveal a hand shaped brand there. Piper glared at it, then him. "How did I not notice that during the two days we spent without clothes on?"

Dean grinned. "I kept you busy, kitten." His grin widened at her growl.

Sam stared at both of them. "That's why it took you two days to come find me? You two were screwing?"

Piper gave Sam an even stare. "You were AWOL, we had to find you first." Without waiting for him to respond, she turned back to Dean. She lifted her hand to gingerly touch the spot, noticing how his eyes darkened. "Does it hurt?" she whispered. For some reason her breath caught when he shook his head slowly at her.

Bobby cleared his throat. Piper blushed and Dean huffed when they looked up and everyone was looking at them with varying degrees of amusement. "As much fun as this was," Bobby drawled dryly, "Can we please get back to it?"

Dean nodded and turned so Pamela could to touch the brand. When the other put her hand on Dean's arm, Piper smothered the wave of possessiveness that washed over her. _Which one of you is the jackass now?_ she thought to herself as she closed her eyes.

Pamela started chanting."I invoke, conjure, and command you, appear unto me before this circle. I invoke, conjure, and command you, appear unto me before this circle. I invoke, conjure, and command you, appear unto me before this circle."

Piper jumped as a television the other room flicked on to static, but Pamela continued fearlessly. "I invoke, conjure, and command... Castiel? No. Sorry, Castiel, I don't scare easy."

Dean's hand tightened on Piper's. "Castiel?"

Pamela nodded. "Its name. It's whispering to me, warning me to turn back." The table had started to shake. "I conjure and command you, show me your face. I conjure and command you, show me your face. I conjure and command you, show me your face. I conjure and command you, show me your face."

Piper's stomach was doing flips,and the hairs on the back of her neck were standing straight up. "Maybe we should stop," she said nervously.

"I almost got it. I command you, show me your face! Show me your face now!"

Suddenly the glass of the candles shot upward, and Pamela started screaming. When she opened her eyes, flames were shooting out of them, too. Piper screamed and let go of the brothers' hands to run and kneel next to her, opposite of Bobby.

"Call 911!" Bobby was barking at Sam.

Sam ran into the best room and Dean knelt next to Piper, looking miserably at Pamela.

The prone woman's eyes flew open to reveal bloody, raw sockets. Piper put her hand over her mouth as Pamela started sobbing, "I can't see! I can't see! Oh, God!"

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	27. One Job at a Time

"Be up in a jiff."

Piper was in the booth next to Dean, silently leaning into his warmth. They were in a booth in a dimly lit diner, near the hospital where Pamela had been taken. The events of the séance had shaken Piper, and she couldn't get warm.

Dean seemed to notice her shivering and wrapped his arm around her. "How you holdin' up, kitten?"

She tried on a smile for him, but it felt awkward. "I'm not."

He looked like he was trying to think of something to say when Sam walked back through the diner door, on the phone with Bobby. "You bet." He flipped his phone shut and sat across from them.

Dean flicked his eyes to Piper, but turned to Sam. "What'd Bobby say?"

"Pam's stable. And out of I.C.U."

"And blind, because of us," Piper muttered, misery coursing through her.

Sam met her eyes, but didn't object. "And we still have no clue who we're dealing with."

Dean tightened his hold on Piper and shook his head. "That's not entirely true."

Piper looked up at him. "No?"

"We got a name. Castiel, or whatever. With the right mumbo jumbo we could summon him, bring him right to us."

Sam's eyebrows rose. "You're crazy. Absolutely not."

Dean was nodding, though. "We'll work him over. I mean, after what he did?"

Sam leaned forward. "Pam took a peek at him and her eyes burned out of her skull, and you want to have a face to face?"

Dean glared at him. "You got a better idea?"

Piper sighed. She had always hated it when they fought… Which was always.

"Yeah," Sam was saying, "As a matter of fact I do. I followed some demons to town, right?"

"Okay."

"So, we go find them. Someone's gotta know something about something."

The waitress came back with the brothers' orders. She set two plates of pie on the table.

"Thanks," Sam said, turning back to Dean.

Instead of leaving, the waitress pulled a chair over and sat at the end of the table. Piper frowned, her body tensing.

Dean was frowning, too. "You angling for a tip?"

The woman pretended to be surprised. "I'm sorry. Thought you were looking for us."

She blinked and her eyes were black. Piper's blood ran cold as she watched another customer and the cook blink, too, turning their eyes the same soulless color. The customer stood and locked the door.

The waitress blinked and her eyes went back to normal. She surveyed Dean. "Dean. To hell and back. Aren't you a lucky duck."

Dean smiled, exuding cockiness. "That's me."

The waitress was practically snarling. "So you get to just stroll out of the pit, huh? Tell me. What makes you so special?"

Dean grinned. "I like to think it's because of my perky nipples. I don't know. Wasn't my doing, I don't know who pulled me out."

"Right. You don't." The waitress didn't believe him. Piper's mind started racing.

"No. I don't."

"Lying's a sin, you know." _They're scared shitless,_ Piper realized.

Dean was shaking his head. "I'm not lying. But I'd like to find out, so if you wouldn't mind enlightening me, Flo…"

"Mind your tone with me, boy. I'll drag you back to hell myself." She was snarling now.

Sam sat up to attack, but Piper's hand stayed him. "No, you won't," she said evenly, looking into the demon's eyes.

The woman cocked an eyebrow. "No?" But Piper saw fear there. The part of her that was a hunter, a predator, celebrated.

"No. Because if you were, you would have done it already. The fact is you have no idea who let him go. And you're just as spooked as we are. And you're looking for answers. Maybe it was some powerful spirit. Or some big bad boss demon. I'm guessing at your pay grade that they don't tell you much. Because whoever it was, they want him out. And they're a lot stronger than you. So go ahead. Send him back. But don't come crawling to us when they show up on your front doorstep with some Vaseline and a fire hose."

The waitress leaned forward. "I'm going to reach down your throat and rip out your lungs. No one cares if _you're_ in hell, bitch."

Dean leaned forward and threw a punch at the demon, who took it almost passively. He did it again, and she did nothing again. "That's what I thought," he snapped. "Let's go, Pipes, Sam."

They stood, pausing when Dean stopped to pull out a wad of cash. He peeled off a ten dollar bill and dropped it on the table dismissively. "For the pie."

They walked out with their heads held high, until they saw Baby. They all tensed and hurried to the car. "Holy crap, that was close," Dean said as he fished the keys out of his pocket. He looked at Piper appreciatively. "And hot."

She smiled wanly. She was too tired to banter with him tonight.

Sam, however, was not. "We're not just going to leave them in there, are we, Dean?"

"Well yeah, there's three of them, probably more, and we've only got one knife between us."

"I've been killing a lot more demons than that lately." Sam scoffed. Piper frowned. _What?_

Dean didn't miss a beat. "Not anymore. The smarter brother's back in town."

Sam didn't move as Dean opened the door for Piper, who slid into the backseat gratefully. "Dean, we've got to take 'em. They're dangerous."

Dean shook his head as he got into the car. "They're scared. Okay? Scared of whatever had the juice to yank me out. We're dealing with a bad mofo here. One job at a time."

 **xxxxx**

Piper was curled against Dean on their bed when the TV turned on.

He had brought a book under the pretense of research, but he had ended up just holding her silently. She had been mostly silent the way home, knowing that it was making him worried, but unable to think of the words. She knew their job was dangerous, and had consequences, but she had liked Pamela a lot, and now she was blind forever because of them.

The sound of static startled her awake, though Dean slept through it. She shoved him. "Dean," she whispered, starting to get nervous, as the radio turned on and started to whine. He woke up with a start. "What the hell?"

Piper had already stood and grabbed the shotgun next to the bed when the loud, high-pitched noise started. She didn't know where to point it, but it quickly became moot when the noise started. She gasped, trying to cover her ear with her free hand while still holding onto the gun.

It was too much. She dropped the gun and dropped to her knees, starting to scream. Dean made his way to her pushed her roughly to the ground, covering her body with his. She didn't understand until glass started shattering. She was screaming, and could hear him yelling above her.

The light changed, which was Piper's only indicator that Bobby had opened the door.

 **xxxxx**

Piper was really, really tired of abandoned warehouses.

They were setting up to summon Castiel, whatever the hell that was. Dean had refused to let Sam come. Piper knew he had his suspicions about what Sam had been doing in the four months he'd been gone, and she kicked herself again for not following Sam around like a lost puppy until he told her what was going on.

She turned back to her work, drawing another symbol with white spray paint on the floor. The entire building was covered in symbols in multi-colored spray paint. White if the color didn't matter, the required hue when it did.

Dean was at a table, setting up equipment. He looked over his shoulder at her. "That's a hell of an art project you've got going there."

She didn't stop her work when Bobby answered for her. "Traps and talismans from every faith on the globe. How you doing?"

Dean shrugged. "Stakes, iron, silver, salt, knife. I mean, we're pretty much set to catch and kill anything I've ever heard of."

"This is still a bad idea," Piper muttered as she finished her symbol and stood up.

"Yeah, Pipes, I heard you the first ten times." He looked at Bobby. "What do you say we ring the dinner bell?"

Piper put her things away and went to stand next to Dean, unsure of what weapon to grab. Her stomach was in knots as Bobby took a pinch of powder, sprinkled it into the bowl, and started chanting in Latin.

 **xxxxx**

Fifteen minutes later, nothing had happened.

Piper was standing next to Dean, who was sitting on the table, swinging his legs. His hand was on the back of her head, running his fingers through her hair nervously. He looked at Bobby. "Are you sure you did the ritual right?" Piper elbowed him in the ribs as Bobby gave him a look. "Sorry. Touchy, touchy, huh?"

A loud rattling shook the roof. They all grabbed shotguns and swivelled.

"Wishful thinking, but maybe it's just the wind," Dean said quietly.

Piper swallowed her scream as the doors burst open. A man walked in wearing a trench coat over what looked like a business suit. As he stalked towards them, light bulbs above them started to shatter

Dean and Bobby started to open fire, but Piper held back. Did something about him seem familiar?

As the man got close, Dean took out the magic knife. "Who are you?"

The man looked at him curiously, tilting his head a little. In a deep, gravelly voice, he answered. "I'm the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition."

"Yeah. Thanks for that." Dean plunged the knife into the man's chest. He looked down, unconcerned, and pulled it out before dropping it onto the floor.

Bobby flung himself at the man. Without looking back, he grabbed the weapon Bobby had and swung him around. He touched Bobby on the forehead with two fingers, and Bobby crumpled.

"Bobby!" Piper cried, starting to move forward until she realized that she had drawn the man's attention.

He started forward with the same two fingers raised, and Piper felt her heart stop. Dean stood in front of her, his arm sweeping her behind him as he glared at the man in the trench coat. "You don't touch her," he growled.

The man frowned. "We need to talk, Dean. Alone."

"No dice, dick. The girl stays alive."

The man frowned harder. "Your friend's alive."

Dean stepped forward to check Bobby's pulse, and Piper stepped back when the man's piercing blue eyes looked at her. "Piper Finley," he stated.

She nodded, even though it wasn't a question. "Yes. Have we met?"

He ignored her question. "Why are you here?"

She frowned. "I'm here with Dean."

"You're not supposed to be here. You're not in the plan."

"Enough with small talk," Dean snapped, taking up post again in front of Piper, blocking her from view. "Who are you?"

"Castiel."

Piper rolled her eyes as Dean responded. "Yeah, I figured that much, I mean what are you?"

"I'm an Angel of the Lord."

"Oh, jeeze…" Piper gasped.

Dean wasn't impressed. "Get the hell out of here. There's no such thing."

"This is your problem, Dean. You have no faith." He peered around Dean's shoulder. "But you do, Piper Finley." She blinked, unsure of what to say.

Lightning flashed again, and huge shadowy wings appeared, sprouting out of Castiel's back. They flexed slowly, powerfully. Piper couldn't hold back her sharp inhale.

Dean, again, wasn't impressed. "Some angel you are. You burned out that poor woman's eyes."

Castiel had the good grace to look ashamed. "I warned her not to spy on my true form. It can be... Overwhelming to humans, and so can my real voice. But you already knew that."

"You mean at the motel? That was you talking?" Piper asked. Castiel nodded. Dean glared. "Buddy, next time, lower the volume," he snarled.

"That was my mistake. Certain people, special people, can perceive my true visage. I thought you would be one of them. I was wrong."

"And what visage are you in now, huh? What, holy tax accountant?" Piper groaned internally. Must he antagonize everyone he met?

Castiel looked down. "This? This is... A vessel."

Piper frowned. "You're possessing someone? Angels possess people? That's messed up."

Castiel peered around Dean's shoulder again to address her. "He's a devout man, he actually prayed for this."

Dean scoffed and moved again, blocking her. "Well, I'm not buying what you're selling, so who are you really?"

"I told you."

"Right. And why would an angel rescue me from Hell?"

"Good things do happen, Dean."

"Exactly one good thing has ever just _happened_ to me, and she's standing behind me. So no, they don't, not in my experience." Something in Piper's chest fluttered, but she squelched it. _Later, Finley._

Castiel tilted his head. "What's the matter? You don't think you deserve to be saved?"

Dean was starting to get upset. "Why'd you do it?"

Castiel's next words made Piper a little dizzy. "Because God commanded it. Because we have work for you."

 **xxxxx**

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	28. The Only Good Thing

"We have work for you."

Piper felt good, clean anger course through her, and she grasped at it. Angry was better than terrified.

She shoved herself past Dean, ignoring his protests and planted her feet in front of him. Meeting the insanely blue eyes with her own, she put the shotgun up against her shoulder and aimed. "Over my dead body, jackass."

He frowned. "I am not a donkey."

She didn't let that faze her. "Look, wings, I don't care what you are. Dean and I are leaving, and I swear to God I will shoot you in the face without hesitation. It won't kill you, but I'm willing to bet it will slow you down."

"Threats of violence are not necessary, Piper Finley."

Piper ignored Dean's restraining hand on her shoulder. "Not from where I'm standing, wings."

Castiel frowned again. "Why are you saying 'wings?'"

She started moving slowly, gun still pointed at the alleged angel. "We're leaving."

They slowly circled Castiel, Piper never taking her eyes off of him. Dean knelt and grunted as he picked up Bobby under the arms, taking him with them. Piper was certain the angel was letting them go, he could take all three of them without breaking a sweat (do angels sweat?), but for some reason, he just watched them leave.

Right before they were at the door, something in his gaze changed. He met Piper's eyes again. "I would like to know what your role in this is, Piper Finley."

She pushed Dean backward, ignoring his possessive growl, and they ran for Baby.

 _What?_

 **xxxxx**

Dean was sitting across the kitchen table from Sam, glaring at him over Piper's shoulder, arguing with him about whatever the hell Castiel was. Piper was in his lap, back pressed to his chest, with his arms wrapped around her.

He didn't understand the constant need to be touching her, but he didn't fight it, either. He craved her closeness, her skin against his. He was using her as a touchstone, he knew it, but he couldn't seem to stop. His soul was ragged, he could feel himself unravelling at the edges, the knowledge of what he'd done in hell screaming in his head constantly. Holding her, touching her, made the screaming go quiet, and her gentle affection and steady presence was soothing the torn edges of himself.

The fear that had shot through him when she had aimed the shotgun at Castiel had shaken him to the core. And it just confirmed… How he felt about her. The thought of the "angel" touching her had sent white-hot rage through him. She was Piper, and she was _his._

He realized he had turned to stare at her. With an effort, he looked back at Sam. "Look, all I know is I was not groped by an angel."

Piper chuckled as Sam huffed. "Okay, look, Dean. Why do you think this Castiel would lie to you about it?"

"Maybe he's some kind of demon. Demons lie."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "A demon who's immune to salt rounds and devil's traps... And Ruby's knife? Dean, Lilith is scared of that thing!"

Dean was getting agitated, they didn't understand. "Don't you think that if angels were real, that some hunter somewhere would have seen one... At some point... Ever?"

Piper moved so she was sitting sideways in his lap, putting her arm around him and running her fingers through the hair at his nape. "I think you just did, Dean."

He glared at her, but moved his arms so she was securely locked in place. "I'm trying to come up with a theory here. Okay? Work with me, kitten."

"Dean, we have a theory," Sam snapped, making Dean swivel back to him.

"Yeah, one with a little less fairy dust on it, please." They didn't, they _couldn't_ understand. He wasn't worthy of saving, especially by God.

Sam sighed. "Okay, look. I'm not saying we know for sure. I'm just saying that I think we-"

Dean snapped his fingers into irritation and triumph. "That's the point. We don't know for sure, so I'm not gonna believe that this thing is a freaking Angel of the Lord because it says so!"

"You two chuckleheads want to keep arguing religion, or do you want to come take a look at this?" Bobby asked from the living room.

Dean frowned. "Pipes is in here, too," he said as the three of them stood and made their way to Bobby's desk.

"I'm aware," Bobby said calmly as they joined him.

Piper shot Dean a sassy smirk and stopped next to Bobby's desk. Dean retaliated by slapping her on the ass, grinning at the squeak she made.

Bobby glared at them. "You done?"

Piper nodded, a lovely blush rising on her face. "Whatcha got, Bobby?"

He gestured to the books piled on the desk. "I got stacks of lore. Biblical, pre-Biblical. Some of it's in damn cuneiform. It all says an angel can snatch a soul from the pit."

Dean felt himself tense. "What else?"

"What else, what?"

"What else could do it?"

Bobby raised his eyebrows. "Airlift your ass out of the hot box? As far as I can tell, nothing."

Dean felt Piper's soft hand slipped into his and squeeze reassuringly. She knew it wasn't what he had wanted to hear. How did she always know?

"Dean, this is good news," Sam said softly.

"How?"

"Because for once, this isn't just another round of demon crap. I mean, maybe you were saved by one of the good guys, you know?"

Dean, frustrated, ran his free hand through his hair and blew out a breath. "Okay. Say it's true. Say there are angels. Then what? There's a God?"

Bobby shrugged. "At this point, Vegas money's on yeah."

Dean felt his anger start to bubble up. Before he could yell, he felt Piper use his hand to put his arm around her shoulders, while slipping her arm around his waist. He looked down at her concerned eyes and felt the anger drain out of him. "I don't know," he said softly to her.

"Okay, look. I know you're not all choirboy about this stuff, but this is becoming less and less about faith and more and more about proof." Sam insisted.

Dean looked at his younger brother, confused and getting irritated again. "Proof?"

"Yes."

If he hadn't been holding Piper, he would have started to pace. "Proof that there's a God out there that actually gives a crap about me personally? I'm sorry, but I'm not buying it."

Piper frowned up at him. "Why not?:

How could he explain to her? "Because why me? If there is a God out there, why would he give a crap about me?"

"Dean-" She started.

He interrupted. "I mean, I've saved some people, okay? I figured that made up for the stealing and the ditching chicks." That earned him an elbow in the ribs, which he ignored. "But why do I deserve to get saved? I'm just a regular guy."

Sam shook his head. "Apparently, you're a regular guy that's important to the man upstairs."

Dean shuddered, pulling Piper closer to him. "Well, that creeps me out. I mean, I don't like getting singled out at birthday parties, much less by... God."

Sam let out a mirthless laugh. "Okay, well, too bad, Dean, because I think he wants you to strap on your party hat."

Dean sighed in defeat. "Fine. What do we know about angels?"

 **xxxxx**

Sam was watching Piper sit at the kitchen table, looking dejected. He was worried. The Rising of the Witnesses had affected them all, but Piper had always kind of worn her heart on her sleeve. They were all upset, and shocked about the news of the apocalypse, but she was the only one showing it.

She wouldn't tell him who she saw, just that it was no one from the sheriff's office. Sometimes Sam forgot that Piper had hunted on her own for years before she came back to help them. Every hunter had a few people haunting them.

He wanted to help her. He still felt guilty for not being there for her when Dean had gone to hell. He didn't regret it, per se, but he did feel bad.

An idea struck him, and he walked over to Bobby's radio and flicked it on. The first sounds of "Black Water" by the Doobie Brothers floated through the kitchen.

He approached Piper slowly, then held his hand out and smiled at her.

"Dance with me, Pipe."

She groaned, but gave him her hands and let him pull her out of the seat. She just stood still, eyes narrowed, as he started dancing without her, moving her hands in his.

She just looked at him for a long time, and he almost gave up, but the smile creeping slowly across her face was worth it. Sam was a little shocked at how glad he was. He didn't like seeing Piper like this, too thin, always upset.

Her hips started to sway, and before he knew it, she was crooning the words to him as they danced across the kitchen.

 **xxxxx**

Piper's breathless laughter was like a drug. Dean sat up from his place on her bed (which he was starting to think of as their bed) and started towards the stairs.

"Black Water" was playing as he came down the stairs to see Bobby standing in the kitchen doorway with a half smile on his face.

"Bobby, what-" Dean stopped when he saw what Bobby was looking at.

Sam and Piper were dancing around the kitchen. Sam was leading, grinning down at her, and she had her head dropped back, laughing. Sam spun her and she moved gracefully, stretching her arm out, then spun back into him. They were off beat. They were ridiculous. And she looked so happy it made his chest tight.

He fought with the alpha male, jealous, macho bullshit that was trying to rear it's ugly head. They looked good together, they looked _right._ Sam grinning down at her, her laughing up at him as they shimmied. _They're friends, they're just friends,_ he told himself firmly.

He watched her hips sway, her head bop back and forth, her lips curved into a smile. His jealousy was smothered by satisfied possessiveness, which was still a macho move, but it was progress. He was the one she was kissing with those lips, and those hips were held by his hands at night.

Piper was her own woman, strong and independent, she always had been. But Dean was the one holding her at night, so it suddenly didn't bother him that she was dancing with Sam.

Much.

The song changed to a slower melody, but Dean wasn't listening to it, he was too focused on Piper. He walked toward them, letting the possessiveness thrumming in his veins show in his face.

Sam saw him and grinned, slowly releasing Piper and stepping back. She turned around with a confused, almost put out look on her face until she saw Dean. Her hazel eyes widened, then darkened. He moved closer to her, not touching her, knowing how it drove her crazy.

"Mind of I cut in, kitten?" He let his voice stay low, sensual.

She shook her head mutely, moving forward to lay her hand in his, her other resting on his shoulder. He pulled her close, wrapping his arm around her waist.

They started to slowly sway, her hips driving him slowly mad as they moved with his. He was losing himself in her eyes, the slight part of her lips, the hard beating of her heart against his chest.

"The only good thing, huh?" She asked breathlessly, her gaze never leaving his.

He nodded slowly, bending down to kiss her softly, thoroughly.

 _I have never been in more trouble than I am now._

 **xxxxx**

Bobby watched Dean and Piper dance in the kitchen, tears fighting to get to his eyes. He turned to go to bed, leaving them in their own world, comprised only of the two of them, his heart very full.

His kids were falling in love, it they hadn't already.

The idjits.

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	29. That's Enough

Sam had come in earlier, looking tense and refusing to answer Piper's questions. He had finally bitten her head off, so she was fuming on the bed in their motel room when Dean slammed his way in.

She jumped. "Dean? Dean, what hap-"

"Are you packed?" Cold, violent anger was swirling in his green eyes, and even though she knew it wasn't directed at her, a whisper of fear worked it's way down her spine.

She nodded. "Dean, what-"

"We're leaving, Piper." He grabbed her bag and held his hand out to her. She scrambled to her feet and took it, letting him pull her to his other side…

Putting himself between her and Sam.

Sam had stood up. "Dean, where are you going?"

His shoulders were tense, his hand tight on Piper's. "Oh, you don't need us. You and Ruby go hunt demons."

She frowned. "Ruby?"

Sam stepped forward, hand held out to them. "Hold on. Dean, come on, man."

Dean turned, dropping her hand and her bag at the same time, and punched Sam in the face. "Dean!" Piper cried as Sam whirled with the force of Dean's fist, hand going to his face. _Good grief, he's fast._

Sam turned back around and dropped his hand. "You satisfied?"

Dean hit him again, hard.

"I guess not," Sam said dryly.

Dean stalked forward angrily. "Do you even know how far off the reservation you've gone? How far from normal? From human?"

"What the hell is going on?" Piper asked mildly, knowing she wouldn't get an answer. When the boys got into a fight, it was best to stay out of their way. Bobby had told her it was like when big dogs got into a fight. If you got in the middle, you'd probably get hurt.

Sam was earnest. "I'm just exorcising demons."

"With your mind!" Dean shouted angrily. "What else can you do?"

"I can send them back to hell. It only works with demons, and that's it."

Piper's eyebrows rose, and she crossed her arms over her stomach, hugging herself. _What?_

Dean grabbed his younger brother and pushed him backwards a little. "What else can you do?!" he shouted again.

Piper stepped forward and put a hand on Dean's arm, tugging gently. "Dean, stop." He let go of Sam and stepped back.

"I told you!" Sam said, getting angry now, too.

"And I have every reason in the world to believe that." Dean scoffed, turning to take Piper's hand again and walking towards the door.

"Look," Sam said, running a hand through his hair. "I should have said something." Dean only paused to pick up Piper's bag. "I'm sorry, Dean. I am. But try to see the other side here."

Dean turned slowly to stare at Sam. "The other side?"

Encouraged, Sam continued. "I'm pulling demons out of innocent people."

"Use the knife!"

"The knife kills the victim! What I do, most of them survive! Look, I've saved more people in the last five months than we save in a year."

Dean was stepping forward again. "That what Ruby want you to think? Huh? Kind of like the way she tricked you into using your powers?" He shook his head. "Slippery slope, brother. Just wait and see. Because it's gonna get darker and darker, and God knows where it ends."

"I'm not gonna let it go too far."

Dean's entire body was taut. Piper stepped closer and squeezed his hand. He sighed and relaxed a fraction, but he was still furious. "It's already gone too far, Sam. If I didn't know you… I would want to hunt you."

"That's enough." Piper said quietly, meeting Dean's eyes, then Sam's. "You guys are upset, I understand, but this isn't helping. Dean, let's go." She looked at Sam, trying to apologize with her eyes. "Sam, I wish you hadn't lied to me, and I get it. But we're bunking in separate rooms tonight, gentlemen." She turned and pulled Dean toward the door again. To her relief, and great surprise, he followed her without a word.

 **xxxxx**

They were curled around one another in bed, face to face. Dean studied her concerned eyes, her high cheekbones, the wisps of vibrant purple hair that fell along her face. He moved it gently away from her, tucking it behind her ear. She was staring at him with an unidentifiable emotion on her face, and sighed softly.

"You don't think you're being a little hard on him?"

His hand paused. "Piper, do we have to talk about Sam when we're in bed?"

She smiled and kissed him gently. He leaned into it, his hand moving down to her hip to pull her closer, letting out a frustrated grunt when she pulled away. "Tonight, yes. From now on? No."

He let out a huff. "He's going dark, Piper. This is what Dad-" He was interrupted by her finger on his lips. He felt arousal stirring deep in him, despite the circumstances.

"Dean," she said, smiling a little, "We both know you're not going to hunt Sam. So drop the act, tough guy." She paused for a moment. "I know you're not comfortable with talking, Dean, but I need you to talk to me so I can understand."

Emotion welled up in his chest, and he closed his eyes to fight with it. He couldn't talk to her. He couldn't tell her all of the things he was afraid of, Sam rapidly rising to the top of the list. He couldn't tell her why he was so afraid.

What if darkness ran through their blood? What if it was inevitable? What if it ended up hurting Piper, or Bobby?

So, instead, he tried a lie. "The kid is getting darker and darker, Pipes. We depend on him on hunts, I need him sharp, and if he's too distracted by his Jedi mind tricks, we could be in danger."

She shook her head, and his heart felt both lighter and heavier. "No dice, bud. Try again." _How does she always know?_

He paused for a second, collecting his thoughts. "I'm supposed to watch out for him, kitten," he said softly, struggling with the emotions making his throat close around his words. She silently leaned into him, nestling her head under his chin, giving him as much privacy as she could without leaving him. "I'm supposed to watch out for him," he was nearly whispering as he pulled her closer. "And now he's using those damn demon powers, and I don't know how to make him quit."

She was silent for a long while, so long Dean thought she'd fallen asleep when she finally spoke. "You can't, Dean. I know you feel like you have to, like it's your responsibility, but Sam isn't a kid." She leaned back to look up at him, her face earnest. "He has to come to the conclusion on his own, Dean, you can't make up his mind for him." She touched his face gently. "You have enough going on, Dean. You have to let him deal with this."

He looked at her breathlessly for a moment. _Goddamn psychic woman._ "What do you mean, enough going on?"

There was a shadow of sadness in her eyes when she leaned forward to brush her lips against his. "You know exactly what I mean, Dean. And someday, hopefully, you'll tell me about it. But not tonight," she smiled, moving her hips against his. "Tonight, I need you."

Dean rolled them so she was on top of him. He didn't know how the hell she knew, or how much she knew. What was important tonight was erasing the sadness in her face, and even if he didn't know how to do it by talking, he sure as hell knew how to do it with his hands.

 **xxxxx**

The next morning, Piper was sitting on the bed when Sam knocked gently. Before she went to the door, she turned to make sure Dean hadn't woken up. He seemed to sleep better in the mornings, and God knew he needed sleep.

She went silently to the door, opened it, and slipped outside, closing the door behind her. "What's up, Sam?"

He looked like he wanted to say something, so she stayed silent, letting him lead up to it.

"I'm sorry, Pipe, I shouldn't have lied to you."

She wanted to hug him, but she couldn't give in that easy. "No, you shouldn't have."

His shoulders sagged. "I'm sorry, I just…" He was struggling for words again, which was surprising. Sam was much more comfortable with saying how he felt than Dean. "I just felt alone with Dean gone. I wanted to do some good."

That hurt. "Alone? Seriously? You're the only one who lost someone?"

 _To be fair, you weren't real chatty._ She had been on her own more often than not in the four months that Dean had been in hell. Probably not the best state of mind to hear Sam out.

He opened his mouth, but stopped when she held her hand up. "Look, I… I get it, Sam, I do. But Dean won't. He's not going to let this go."

He nodded miserably. "I know. One apology at a time, I guess." He held his arms out to her. "At least partially forgiven?" She smiled and stepped forward, raising her arms. When he wrapped his big arms around her and squeezed, she hissed between her teeth in pain, and hoped that somehow he hadn't noticed.

No such luck. He backed away and looked at her, confused. "What's wrong? Did that angel hurt you?"

"I'm fine, Sam," she said as she stepped away, tugging her tank top down.

He stepped forward and swatted her hands away from the hem of her shirt. "Let me see, Pipe."

She didn't relent, but Sam was _strong._ "Sam, it's fine-"

He lifted her shirt up, and his sharp intake of breath interrupted her. She sighed and hung her head, squeezing her eyes shut. He was seeing the big purple bruise on her ribs.

"Did… Did Dean-"

Her head snapped up. "Not on purpose! Never on purpose." He didn't look like he believed her. "He's been having, uh, nightmares, and he kind of starts swinging. I can usually get out of the way on time, but he was fast last night." She gave him a smile. "Cracked a rib."

Sam's brow furrowed. "Piper, you should sleep in a different bed if he's hitting you."

"No. I'm fine, Sam." She pulled her shirt back down. "He needs me, Sam. I don't know why, but he does. So keep your trap shut about this, okay?"

He was looking at her intensely. "You don't know why he needs you?"

She was saved by answering by Dean opening the door. He looked steadily at Sam, and Piper gave into the urge to go to Dean and tuck herself under his arm.

"What's going on?" Dean asked slowly.

Sam's eyes didn't leave Piper's. "I got a case."

 **xxxxx**

The hunt had been rough. It had been terrible. Piper lay in the backseat of the Impala, unable to sleep but too tired to sit up. The rougarou had almost killed Dean, and she had been helpless to stop it, tied up in the man's home. Her heart was still racing.

So she listened to their voices as they spoke, grateful they were both still with her.

"You did the right thing, you know." Dean was saying. "That guy was a monster, there was no going back."

Sam was silent.

Dean sighed. "Sam, I wanna tell you I'm sorry. I've been kind of hard on you lately." Piper smiled, listening to her words echo from Dean's mouth.

"Don't worry about it, Dean."

She heard Dean shift uncomfortably. "It's just that your, uh, your psychic thing, it scares the crap out of me."

"Look, if it's all the same... I'd really rather not talk about it."

"Wait a minute. What? You don't want to talk? You?"

"There's nothing more to say. I can't keep explaining myself to you. I can't make you understand." Piper frowned, but didn't sit up.

"Why don't you try?" Dean retorted, albeit gently.

Sam shook his head. "I can't. Because this thing, this blood, it's not in you the way it's in me. It's just something I got to deal with."

"Not alone."

Sam was silent for a while, and they let him be.

"Anyway, it doesn't matter. These powers... It's playing with fire. I'm done with them. I'm done with everything."

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	30. You Gave it a Shot!

Piper was sitting next to Sam on their motel bed, flipping through a very old book, trying to find information on the hex bag they had found in the dead man's apartment. Sam was on his computer, doing the same.

They sat shoulder to shoulder, and Piper suppressed a smile. She liked research, and she liked it even more with Sam next to her. Since he had found her injury, he had become more protective and careful. It usually made her roll eyes, but it was hard to say no when both Winchesters insisted you stay behind to stay safe, concern and affection in both sets of eyes.

She was trying to sink bank into her work when Dean entered. He was unwrapping a piece of candy as he came and sat near Piper, putting a hand on her leg as he popped it into his mouth.

She wrinkled her nose. "Ew, Dean."

Sam looked grossed out, too. "Really? After that guy choked down all those razor blades?"

Dean grinned and leaned in to kiss Piper, who leaned away with a face. That guy dying on his floor, covered in his own blood, was still too fresh in her mind.

"It's Halloween, kitten," he whined. Piper laughed and leaned forward to peck him on the cheek. "Every day is Halloween for us."

Sam pulled a face and moved to the other bed. "Could you guys not be gross on what _used_ to be my bed?"

Piper scooted to make room for Dean as he sat next to her, leaning against the headboard and putting a big hand on her thigh. Piper tried to suppress a shiver, but the devious look in his eye told her she had failed. "Don't be a downer, Sammy." He said, gaze flicking his brother. He looked back at Piper, squeezing her thigh lightly. "Anything interesting?"

She shook her head, trying not to be ensnared in those eyes and failing. "We're on a witch hunt, but this hex bag is different." She pointed to where Sam had put them, near the end of the bed next to ber. There was a silver coin, what looked like dried herbs, and a small charred object.

Sam leaned over and picked up the dried herbs. "Goldthread, an herb that's been extinct for two hundred years." He put it down and pointed to the silver coin. "That's Celtic, and I don't mean some new age knock-off. It looks like the real deal, like six hundred years old real."

Dean picked up the charred piece and raised it to his face to sniff it. Piper made a face and leaned away from him again. "And, um… That is the charred metacarpal bone of a newborn baby."

Dean looked horrified. "Ugh. Gross." He put it back in the pile and turned to Piper, who was still leaning away.

Sam smiled. "Relax man, it's like, at least a hundred years old."

"Oh, right, like that makes it better? Witches, man, they're so friggin' skeevy." Dean griped. He was still leaning toward Piper, his eyes intent on hers. Even though Sam was three feet away, she felt heat start to coil in her.

She put a hand on his chest, smiling. "Nope, no touching for you, Mr. I Sniff Baby Bones."

She didn't have time to dodge him as he pounced on her. Her mood went from playful to determined when his hand landed on her cracked ribs. _Poker face, Finley,_ she told herself quietly, sticking a smile on her face for him. The pain made her dizzy for a moment.

He still wasn't fooled. "Pipes?" He tugged her back to him gently. She settled in next to him, this smile a little more genuine.

Sam interrupted, for which Piper was grateful. "Dean, it takes a pretty powerful witch to put a bag like this together. More juice than we've ever dealt with, that's for sure. What about you? Find anything on the victim?"

Dean shook his head, taking his concerned eyes off of Piper to look at Sam. "This Luke Wallace? He was so vanilla that he made vanilla seem spicy. I can't find any reason why somebody would want this guy dead."

 **xxxxx**

The three of them were walking back to the motel in the quiet. Piper was chewing over the weird moment Dean had had at the high school in her head. She didn't realize something was wrong until Sam drew his gun.

She pulled hers and followed him in as he shouted, "Who are you?!"

Piper came in behind him and relaxed, but didn't put her gun down. "Sam, it's Castiel."

Sam looked shocked and lowered his gun. Castiel was ignoring Sam to frown at Piper.

"You have been injured, Piper Finley."

She felt Dean come close behind her as her eyes widened. "I'm fine," she said too quickly. _Shut up, Angel Boy._

Dean put a hand on her hip and came to stand next to her, looking at the other man in the room. "Him, we don't know."

Sam was still looking at Castiel with wonder. The angel's eyes lingered on Piper for a moment, then he turned to Sam and smiled. "Hello, Sam."

"Oh my God, er, uh, I didn't mean to, sorry. It's an honor, really, I, I've heard a lot about you."

Sam stepped forward and offered his hand to Castiel, who looked confused. Abruptly realizing what he wanted, the angel shook Sam's hand and smiled. "And I, you. Sam Winchester. The boy with the demon blood."

"Hey, rude." Piper snapped, finally lowering her gun.

Castiel looked at her. "It is a fact." Sam looked pained.

Piper glared at Castiel. "It's rude to point out People's major flaws, wings."

"I am not here to be polite. Why do you keep saying 'wings?'"

"It's a form of disrespect, wings."

He frowned. "Why are you hostile to me, Piper Finley? I could heal your ribs."

Dean looked down at her. "What is he talking about?"

The man looking out the window interrupted before she had to answer. "Enough, Castiel, this is ridiculous."

Dean glared at him. "Yeah, okay, chuckles." He turned to Castiel. "Who's your friend?"

Castiel ignored the question. "The raising of Samhain, have you stopped it?"

Dean looked confused. "Why?

"Dean, have you located the witch?"

Dean huffed. "Yes, we've located the witch."

"And is the witch dead?"

Sam shook his head. "No, but-"

"We know who it is." Piper finished, drawing both angels' gazes to her. She didn't want them focusing on Sam.

Castiel looked at her, then walked to the table between the two beds. "Apparently the witch knows who you are too." He pulled out a hex bag and showed it to them. "This was inside the wall of your room. If we hadn't found it, surely one or all of you would be dead. Do you know where the witch is now?"

Piper saw Dean and Sam exchange a look. "We're working on it."

Castiel sighed. "That's unfortunate."

Piper's eyes narrowed. "What do you care?"

"The raising of Samhain is one of the sixty-six seals."

"So this is about your buddy Lucifer." Dean was almost snarling.

"Lucifer is no friend of ours." The other angel was also snarling.

Piper rolled her eyes. "It's just an expression."

Castiel ignored her. "Lucifer cannot rise. The breaking of the seal must be prevented at all costs."

"Okay, great, well now that you're here, why don't you tell us where the witch is, we'll gank her and everybody goes home." Dean snarled, throwing an arm around Piper's shoulders.

The blue-eyed angel glared. "We are not omniscient. This witch is very powerful, she's cloaked even our methods."

Sam was trying to make peace. "Okay, well we already know who she is, so if we work together-"

"Enough of this," the other angel snapped.

Dean turned. "Okay, who are you and why should I care?"

Castiel waved a hand. "This is Uriel, he's what you might call a… Specialist."

Piper examined the other man. "What kind of specialist? What are you going to do?"

Castiel suddenly looked nervous. "You, uh, all of you, you need to leave this town immediately."

"Why?"

"Because we're about to destroy it."

 **xxxxx**

Dean walked behind Sam, who was walking behind Piper, sneaking up on the damn high school teacher. He had the girl tied up, and was running a knife along her neck. Piper raised her gun and fired three times, shooting the teacher in the back. Dean came forward and wrapped an arm around the girl's waist, cutting her down with his other hand.

The girl ripped her gag off and looked up at him. "Thank you, he was gonna kill me! Ugh, that sick son of a bitch. I mean, did you see what he was doing? Did you hear him? How sloppy his incantation was?"

 _What?_ Dean drew his gun and pointed at the woman, seeing Piper and Sam do the same.

The witch muttered an incantation and Dean felt pain spread through his stomach. He saw Sam and Piper cry out as he fell to the floor.

Piper had caught the witch's notice apparently, because the standing woman's eyes widened. "Purple hair, surrounded by beautiful men… You're Piper Finley."

Dean was in too much pain to react, but he tried to listen carefully. _How does she know Piper?_

"You almost caught me in Omaha a few years ago, girlie." The witch purred, approaching Piper. "Had to leave my little… Project."

"Screw… You…" Piper hissed through clenched teeth, still obviously in pain. Dean would have been impressed that she could talk if he had been able to think through the pain in his own stomach. As it was, he could only manage to watch.

"Hmm." The witch leaned forward and examined Piper, eyes lighting up when Piper's shirt rode up a little as she writhed. "What's this?" she pulled the shirt up more, revealing livid bruising across Piper's torso. "Ooh, a present from your hell rockstar boyfriend, I assume?" Her eyes flicked to Dean, then back to Piper.

She placed a hand on the bruise and leaned in. Piper's scream and the thick snapping sound from her chest seared themselves onto Dean's heart.

"Let's see if we can't upgrade from cracked to broken, shall we?"

The witch stood up, seemingly done with tormenting Piper. She turned back to the center of the room. "Now, my brother always was a little dim. He was gonna make me the final sacrifice, his idea, but now, that honor goes to him. Our master's return? The spellwork's a two man job you understand, so for six hundred years I had to deal with that pompous son of a bitch. Planning, preparing, unbearable."

She knelt down by the teacher with a knife and a chalice and started digging into the bullet wounds on his back, catching the blood in the cup. "The whole time I wanted to rip his face off."

She grinned and looked down at Piper, who has gone still. Dean's heart clenched, and he started moving closer to her. He saw Sam do the same.

"And Piper Finley gets him with a gun, ugh, love that."

The witch went back to the altar, still talking. "You know, back in the day, this was the one day you kept your children inside. Well tonight you'll all see what Halloween really is."

She started chanting again. Dean looked back to Piper, whose eyes were closed, but was still breathing. He also watched in confusion as Sam leaned over to the dead man's body, put his hand in the blood, and smeared it onto his own face. He quickly did the same to Piper.

"What the hell?" he whispered.

"Just follow my lead." Sam muttered as he smeared blood on Dean's face, too, then moved away from the body.

The witch finished the incantation, and Dean watched in horror as the ground cracked and black smoke started pouring from it and into the dead man's body. Dean maneuvered himself to be between Piper and the scene before them.

The teacher stood up and looked at the witch. He put a hand on her shoulder, turned her around, and kissed her. She sighed. "My love."

"You've aged."

"This face… I can't fool you."

The demon touched his hand to her face. "Your beauty is beyond time." He pressed his forehead to hers briefly, then violently snapped her neck. "Whore."

He turned from her and sniffed the air. Dean closed his eyes and waited until the door closed before opening them again. The pain in his midsection had disappeared, but Piper was still unconscious. He glared at Sam as he knelt to pick her up. "What the hell was that?"

Sam shrugged. "Halloween lore. People used to wear masks to hide from him, so I gave it a shot."

"You gave it a shot?!"

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	31. Intoxicating

The seal had been broken. Samhain had risen. Sam had used his demon powers. And Piper was lying to him.

Dean glared down at her from his place next to her on the bed. She wasn't meeting his eyes. "You're honestly going to try to pass this off as a fall?"

She kept looking at the door. "I did fall, Dean, I don't know what-"

"If you're going to lie to me, Pipes, don't insult me."

She finally looked at him, tears starting to form in her eyes. _Don't give in to her, she's lying to you._ "Dean, please let it go. It's not a big deal."

He leaned forward to press his forehead against hers, fighting with himself. "Piper, you can't keep stuff from me, please."

"You don't want to know." She whispered softly.

"Tell me anyway."

She seemed to be fighting with herself. "The nightmares you've been having," she said finally, "Sometimes you… Lash out."

He sucked in a breath, realization and guilt washing through him. "I did this?"

She shook her head and put a hand on his arm. "No, you didn't mean to, Dean, so don't go blaming yourself. I can usually wake you up before it gets dangerous, but I wasn't fast enough. Dean, _I'm fine."_

He had hurt her. She was the most important thing, she was his one good thing, and he was beating her up in his sleep. "Jesus," he muttered, sick to his stomach, the guilt too much. He stood and ran a hand through his hair.

"Dean, please, it wasn't your fault." She was crying, which was also his fault, no matter what she claimed.

"I just need a minute, Pipes." He walked out the door, ignoring her protests.

Sam was leaning against the Impala, upset. Dean frowned. He wasn't happy with his brother, either, but his guilt was too heavy to be mad right now. So he just sighed and leaned against the car next to him. "Did you know about her ribs?" he asked quietly.

Sam, at least, didn't lie. "Yeah, she, uh, told me yesterday morning."

"Any reason you didn't clue me in?"

Sam chuckled humorlessly. "Because you're going to try to get her to stay behind, or you're going to try leave her, or some other bullshit to put her out of what you think is danger. And as much fun as you being dead was, I don't love the idea of Piper murdering you."

Dean frowned and looked at Sam. "Sam, if I'm hitting her in my sleep, she should go home."

"Try telling her that."

Dean groaned and leaned his head back. "Why the hell is she sticking with us? She's gotten hurt more times since she's been with us-"

"Because she's in love with you, idiot."

Something in Dean stilled. He wanted that to be true. God knew he… Felt that way about her. But even if it was true, it wouldn't be for long. Not if she found out.

So he snorted. "No, she's not."

Sam studied him for a long time. "You're an idiot, Dean."

 **xxxxx**

Piper was watching Dean sit on a park bench, watching kids play on a playground. Her heart ached, almost as much as her damn ribs. He looked so forlorn, so lost.

She moved towards him slowly, trying to keep the pain in her ribs to a minimum. It didn't work, and he turned around at her soft grunt.

He was next to her in a flash, one arm around her waist, the other holding her hand as he guided her to the bench. "Jesus, Piper, did you walk here?"

She sat on the end of the bench with a sigh of relief. "It's only like a mile, and you took Baby."

He only growled in response, and she smiled. "Relax, Dean, I'm fine. I just didn't think you should be alone."

He sighed and sat next to her, arm wrapped gingerly around her shoulders. "Piper, I-"

"I can heal your ribs, Piper Finley." Castiel had appeared next to Dean out of thin air. He was leaning forward to look at her, frowning. "Your injury has become much more severe."

Piper had jumped when the angel appeared, and was now gasping in pain. She considered his offer for a moment. "Okay, wings." Dean frowned down at her, but said nothing.

Castiel leaned forward and pressed two fingers against her forehead. She felt a comforting warmth envelop her ribs, then nothing. She blinked and sat up. There was no pain at all.

She gave the angel a half smile. "Thank you, Castiel."

He smiled. "You're welcome, Piper."

There was a beat of silence, then Dean turned to Castiel. "Let me guess you're here for the, 'I told you so'."

Castiel looked forward again. "No."

"Well, good, cause I'm really not that interested."

Castiel sighed. "I am not here to judge you, Dean."

"Then why are you here?"

"Our orders-"

"Yeah, you know, I've had about enough of these orders of yours-"

Piper put a hand on Dean's chest to interrupt him. "Dean, hear him out."

Castiel continued. "Our orders were not to stop the summoning of Samhain, they were to do whatever you told us to do."

Dean raised his eyebrows. "Your orders were to follow my orders?"

"It was a test, to see how you would perform under... Battlefield conditions, you might say."

Piper felt her brow furrow. "It was a witch, not the Tet Offensive."

Dean ignored her. "So I, uh, failed your test, huh? I get it. But you know what? If you would have waved that magic time-traveling wand of yours and we had to do it all over again, I'd make the same call. 'Cause see, I don't know what's gonna happen when these seals are broken, hell I don't even know what's gonna happen tomorrow. But what I do know is, that this, here? These kids, the swings, the trees, all of it is still here because of Piper, my brother and me." Piper nodded and slipped her hand into his.

"You misunderstand me, Dean, I'm not like you think. I was praying that you would choose to save the town."

"You were?"

Castiel looked toward the playground and gestured. "These people, they're all my father's creations. They're works of art, and yet, even though you stopped Samhain, the seal was broken and we are one step closer to hell on earth, for all creation. Now that's not an expression, Dean, it's literal. You of all people should appreciate what that means." Dean's hand tightened on Piper's. "Can I tell you something if you promise not to tell another soul?"

Dean nodded slowly. "Okay."

"I'm not a… Hammer as you say. I have questions, I have doubts. I don't know what is right and what is wrong anymore, whether you passed or failed here. But in the coming months you will have more decisions to make. I don't envy the weight that's on your shoulders, Dean. I truly don't."

 **xxxxx**

 _CRASH!_

"God dammit, Piper, quit throwing things!"

"Screw you, Winchester!" _CRASH!_

"This ain't gonna change my mind, Piper. You're staying here." _CRASH!_ "God dammit, Piper, that almost hit me!"

"Yeah, I _missed!_ You can't stop me, Dean, I'm a grown-ass woman and I'll go wherever I damn well please!"

Sam winced as another crash rang through the house. "How long have they been at it?"

"An hour at least," Bobby said miserably. "Wish they'd cut it out."

 **xxxxx**

"God dammit, this is for your own good!"

Dean watched as she swung to point at him, fury radiating off of her. "You don't get to decide that! You aren't in charge of what I do!"

He closed his eyes and tried count to ten. "Pipes, baby, come on-"

"Don't you dare 'Pipes, baby, come on' me, Dean Winchester!" He watched her take a deep breath. She really was lovely when she was mad, but he wasn't about to tell her _that._

"Look, Dean," she started, the first words she hadn't shouted at him for an hour. "How many times do we have to do this? What do I have to do to convince you I'm in this for the long haul? I have stayed with you, I have fought with you, I don't know what you want from me."

He blew a breath out and ran a hand through his hair. An idea had taken hold, but he hated it. "Piper, I just want you to be safe."

She stepped closer to him. "I can take care of myself, Dean."

 _God dammit._ If he could make her see reason and stay here, maybe he wouldn't have to lie to her. "I know you can, Pipes, I just… I just don't want you to get hurt."

"I could get hurt anywhere. I'm staying with you."

He had to put his foot down. She couldn't even sleep next to him safely, much less hunt. She'd been kidnapped, tortured, had bones broken, and she still insisted she was fine. "Piper, I don't want you with us."

She snorted. "Well, tough."

He had to. He had to. "Piper, I don't want you with _me."_

He watched the color drain from her face, trying to conceal the misery in his heart. If she thought he was leaving her, maybe she'd go be safe somewhere.

She stepped close enough to look up at him. "Are you trying… To _break up with me?"_

He couldn't say the word, so he just nodded.

He didn't expect the slap, but he took it passively, closing his eyes, hoping she couldn't see the pain on his face.

He expected heartbreak, so her anger caught him by surprise. "How _dare_ you," she said softly. He opened his eyes and watched her eyes fill with outrage. "How _dare_ you use our _relationship_ in some half-assed attempt to get me to _stay safe._ How _dare_ you hold us _hostage!"_

He frowned. "Piper-" He caught her hand as she swung again. "Piper, it's for the best, we weren't going to make it anyway."

"Bullshit." She ripped her hand out if his grasp. "We're fine. We're _great._ Screw you, Dean."

She walked to the door of her bedroom and turned back to him. "When you get your head out of your ass and realize that I'm in love with you, you come find me. And be prepared to grovel." She slammed the door behind her.

 _What?_ Dean was floored, hearing her words echo over and over in his head. She couldn't be in love with him. She didn't know what he'd done.

 _I could tell her._ No, she would turn away from him. _Maybe she wouldn't._ He couldn't take that chance. _What are you doing now, jackass? She just walked out._

Dean ran to the door and down the stairs. He stopped in the kitchen to look at Bobby and Sam, but no Piper. He met Sam's eyes. "Where?"

"Out back. She was running."

Dean ran out the door without another word. His heart was racing, panicking in his chest. _What if she really left?_

He found her a minute later, walking through the salvage yard away from the house. Her arms were wrapped around her middle, and her shoulders were hunched. "Piper!"

She didn't stop, but he saw her tense. "Piper!"

She stopped and turned to him, still mad. "I don't want to-"

He grabbed her arms and pulled her into him, his lips crashing down onto hers. She cried out and pulled her arms out of his grasp to wrap them around his neck, her fingers spearing through the hair at the nape of his neck. The urgent little sounds she was making were driving him crazy.

"I'm sorry, kitten, I'm so sorry," he murmured against her lips, lifting her onto the hood of a nearby car.

"I know, it's okay, I love you," she whimpered back, hands fishing in his shirt to pull him close.

Her hands went to his belt buckle and he pulled away. "Are we going to this right here?"

"God, yes," she gasped, fumbling with his belt.

He grinned. "I have a better idea."

He pulled her off of the car and put his hands on her ass, moaning when she bit his neck and wrapped her legs around his waist. He felt her suck hard, briefly, and grinned. Being a marked man didn't seem so bad.

When they got to the Impala, he bent his knees so she could reach behind her and open the door. He basically tossed her into the backseat. The heat in her eyes was intoxicating. The heat of her hand wrapping around his length before they could get all of their clothes off was intoxicating. The sight of her underneath him, coming apart in his arms, was intoxicating.

But mostly, her sweet, low voice, whispering "I love you," over and over again was intoxicating.

 **xxxxx**

Dean lay on his back, arm around Piper, who was curled around him, snoring softly. He had thrown the blanket he kept in the backseat over them, and he was staring at Baby's ceiling, considering.

She loved him. She was _in_ love with him. He was in awe, put there by the woman sleeping next to him. She had seen almost the worst of the bad, and she was still in love with him. She was amazing.

He had tried to say it back, but there was a soul deep fear that stopped him. If he said it, even to himself, it meant if he lost her, it would kill him. And he would lose her, they were hunters. It was part of the job. When he had been dying, he hadn't had her to lose. _He_ was the one being lost, so he could admit to himself that he… Felt that way.

 _Crap,_ he thought to himself as he shifted to pull her closer. He closed his eyes to try to sleep, mind racing.

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	32. If It's Not Quality Booze

"We need to talk, Piper Finley."

Piper screamed and whipped around, still wrapped in a towel. "What the hell, wings? You can't just creep up on people like that!"

"Dean is going back to hell if we don't get Anna to heaven."

She went cold. "Excuse me?" She stepped forward, her fear forgotten. "Did you just threaten to send Dean back to hell?"

He looked uncomfortable. "Piper, this is serious."

She was incensed. "You're damn right it is! How dare you sneak up on me in the bathroom, and threaten to send my boyfriend to _hell?_ What is wrong with you, Castiel?!"

"Lower your voice, Piper Finley. You have to get him to give us Anna."

"Screw you. Dean is going to do whatever the hell he wants. And I hope he never gives you Anna." She knew she was snarling, borderline being unreasonable, but she didn't appreciate being threatened.

"Piper, if you love Dean, you will convince him that this is the right thing to do."

 **xxxxx**

The plan was in motion. Piper stood next to Dean, Anna on his other side, and Sam on the end. Piper was sick to her stomach. Even if it was a good plan, it was risky as hell.

The doors to the barn they were in blew open to show Castiel and Uriel coming in. Castiel met Piper's eyes, then looked at Anna. "Hello, Anna. It's good to see you."

Piper tuned out the rest, trying to brace herself for battle. She didn't bat an eye when Anna kissed Dean. The hickey on his neck was from Piper, so her possessiveness wasn't disturbed.

She heard Anna say, "You did the best you could. I forgive you. Okay. No more tricks. No more running. I'm ready."

"I'm sorry," Castiel said to her.

"No. You're not. Not really. You don't know the feeling."

Castiel looked upset. "Still, we have a history. It's just-"

"Orders are orders," Anna interrupted."I know. Just make it quick."

The door behind them burst in, and Piper whirled around. Alastair, two demons she didn't recognize, and Ruby entered.

"Don't you touch a hair on that poor girl's head." Alastair drawled smugly. Piper's spine felt like ice, and she hated him. She didn't miss the way Dean tensed.

"How dare you come in this room... You pussing sore?" Uriel growled, stepping forward with the angel blade in his hand.

Alastair clucked his tongue. "Name calling. That hurt my feelings... You sanctimonious, fanatical prick."

"Turn around and walk away now." Castiel also looked ready for a fight. Piper tightened her grip on the gun in her hand and wished she was anywhere else.

Alastair smirked. "Sure. Just give us the girl. We'll make sure she gets punished good and proper."

"You know who we are and what we will do. I won't say it again. Leave now... Or we lay you to waste."

"Think I'll take my chances."

Fighting exploded around Piper. She and one of the new demons zeroed in on one another. Piper's mind became clear, watching the demon's body for signs of what it was about to do. Her uncertainty and worries were washed away in the heat of battle. She was on solid footing. She was _good_ at this.

"Piper Finley. I'm honored." The demon sneered as it swung down at her.

She smiled. "You are indeed. _Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus_ -" She muttered the exorcism as they fought. The demon tried to hit her face, but she was quick. This was not her first rodeo.

Soon, black smoke flew from the meatsuit, allowing Piper to turn around. She ran to Dean, who was standing over Alastair and Castiel. The demon was taunting Dean. "Dean, Dean, Dean... I am so disappointed. You had such promise."

Piper didn't miss the tightness in Dean's shoulders, or the misery etched onto his face. Before she could respond, Anna was yelling, "Shut your eyes. Shut your eyes! Shut your eyes!"

Dean wasn't moving. _Dammit._ Piper tackled him to the ground, covering his eyes with her hand as she squeezed hers shut tightly.

When there was silence, Piper stood up slowly, getting off of Dean and helping him up. Dean was already looking at the angels, eyebrows raised. "Well, what are you guys waiting for? Go get Anna. Unless, of course, you're scared."

Uriel glowered at Dean. "This isn't over."

"Oh, it looks over to me, junkless."

The angels disappeared.

Sam turned to Ruby. "You okay?"

"Not so much."

Piper knelt to pull the demon's arm around her shoulders and help her up.

"What took you so long to get here?" Dean asked, bending to pick up the demon knife.

Ruby glared at him. "Sorry I'm late with the demon delivery. I was only being tortured."

Piper ignored the rest of the conversation to help Ruby to the car.

 **xxxxx**

After they dropped Ruby off, they had stopped for beer and pulled over on the side of the road for a celebratory drink. Piper was next to Dean, his arm around her shoulders, leaning into his warmth. She still had icy fear at the base of her spine, and she couldn't understand why.

The men were talking about the fight. "I can't believe we made it out of there," Dean said, his voice tight. Something was wrong, but Piper kept silent about it. He would tell her when he was ready.

Sam smiled. "Again." The three of them clicked their bottles together.

There was a moment of silence before Dean spoke. His words chilled her even more. "I know you guys heard him."

She let Sam speak. "Who?"

"Alastair. What he said... About how I had promise."

Piper looked up at him. "We heard him."

Dean wouldn't meet her eyes. "You're not curious?"

"Dean, _I'm_ damn curious," Sam said from behind him. "But you're not talking about hell, and we're not pushing." Piper nodded, leaning harder into him and wrapping an arm around his waist.

Dean was quiet for a moment. "It wasn't four months, you know."

"What?" Piper whispered, horrified.

"It was four months up here, but down there... I don't know. Time's different. It was more like 40 years."

"My God," Sam muttered. Piper put a hand over her mouth.

Dean didn't respond to either of them. "They, uh... They sliced and carved and tore at me in ways that you... Until there was nothing left. And then, suddenly... I would be whole again, like magic… Just so they could start in all over. And Alastair... At the end of every day, every one... He would come over."

Piper was sick to her stomach. She moved so she was wrapping both arms around his waist and resting her head into his chest. He didn't move to hold her, but shifted to give her better access. "And he would make me an offer. To take me off the rack... If I put souls on... If I started the torturing. And every day, I told him to stick it where the sun shines. For thirty years, I told him. But then I couldn't do it anymore, Sammy. I couldn't. And I got off that rack. God help me, I got right off it, and I started ripping them apart. I lost count of how many souls." Piper heard the sob he didn't let out, and hugged him tighter. "The, the things that I did to them..."

Piper's head was spinning. _Oh, God, poor Dean…_ She hoped vehemently that Alastair had died in Anna's blast. _No wonder he has nightmares._

"Dean," Sam started, then swallowed hard and continued. "Dean, look, you held out for thirty years. That's longer than anyone would have." Piper nodded against his chest.

Dean was close to openly crying now. "How I feel... This... Inside me... I wish I couldn't feel anything, Sammy. I wish I couldn't feel a damn thing."

 **xxxxx**

Dean knew that Piper was taking him on some kind of farewell tour. He wished she would just get on with it.

When they had gotten back to Bobby's, she had insisted he get back into the Impala, leaving Sam there with Bobby. They had driven for a while, her head in his lap with her bare feet hanging out the open window. She talked almost the whole time, for which he was grateful.

He couldn't find words. He didn't know what had possessed him to tell her and Sam about hell. Maybe he couldn't keep it in anymore. Maybe he was letting them leave while they had a chance. God knew he didn't deserve any loyalty.

Piper had made him pull over in the parking lot of a nice hotel. She had hopped out and paid, helping him bring in their stuff to settle in their room.

He was sitting on the bed, back against the headboard, listening to her rattle out every thought that passed through her head. _She must be nervous._ He hoped she didn't think he would hurt her.

She was standing in front of the minibar, in a black sundress and bare feet. Her hair lay in waves over her shoulder. She was looking at the airplane bottles of liquor. "Are these good brands? They'd better be, this damn thing is expensive. I mean, I'm all for you only live once, but if it's not quality booze, is it even worth it?"

He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the headboard. "Pipes, why are you doing this?"

"Well, we don't _have_ to drink them, but you're kind of a drinker, and this should be a nice change of pace from-"

"I'm not talking about the damn alcohol, Piper," he interrupted, opening his eyes and raising his head to look at her. "Why are you drawing this out?"

Her brow furrowed. "Drawing what out?"

He gestured to everything around them. "The nice room, the mini bar." He smiled wryly at her. "Kind of an expensive way to leave me, Pipes."

She tilted her head, examining him with those hazel eyes. "Why would you think I'm leaving you?"

"Are you going to make me say it, kitten?" He asked miserably as she walked toward him. "You know why, because I… Did what I did."

She climbed onto the bed next to him, then moved to straddle his legs, facing him. The compassion in her eyes was almost unbearable. "Dean, of course I'm not leaving you."

He looked up at her, memorizing her face, not believing her.

"Dean, I'm in love with you." She put a finger to his mouth, interrupting his protest. "I don't say that so you'll say it back, you know. I say it because it's true. It was true when you were a cocky eighteen-year-old, and it's true now. Dean Winchester, I have loved you all of the time between then and now, but especially right now." She smiled as he stared at her, at the tears shimmering in her pretty eyes. "I did not bring you here to break up with you. I brought you here so you could feel safe for once."

Dean was in awe of her again. The steady love in her eyes, her hand that had moved to cup his face. _Holy shit._

He reached up slowly to put a hand on her face. She sighed and leaned into it. He used it to pull her closer until their lips were a whisper apart. He was holding himself back, wanting to be gentle for her, to show her how much she meant to him. But the raging storm of emotions in him was screaming at him to take her hard and fast, to lose himself in her so the other screaming in his head would stop.

"Dean," she said softly, not opening her eyes. "Just get the hell over here and kiss me."

He moved fast, giving in completely. He ran both hands through her hair, holding her to him tightly, invading her mouth with his tongue. She whimpered into his mouth as he ran one hand from her hip to her shoulder, gently pulling the strap of her dress down to lick and nip his way down her neck.

He pushed her dress down further, freeing her breasts. He pulled one nipple into his mouth, sucking gently and running his teeth over it, using his free hand to pinch and pull the other one. She leaned her head back and gave a heavy moan, grinding herself down onto his cock.

"Dean, now, please," she lifted her head back up to look at him, and the heat there drove him insane. He used his hands on her hips to raise her up to her knees, then ran his hands up her legs. He almost came when he realized she wasn't wearing underwear. _How does she always know?_

Her hot little hands were at his belt buckle, zipping down his jeans, freeing his cock, then wrapping it in their soft warmth. She stroked him slowly, leaning forward to whisper filthy things in his ear, smiling when his hands tightened on her legs. _"Christ, Piper."_

She laughed softly into his ear, the desire in her voice making him dizzy. He moved hand to her center, moving a finger through her hot, slick folds. He felt a growl rumble in his chest at how wet she was for him. _"Piper,"_ he gasped, losing focus a little when she nibbled at his earlobe lightly.

"Now, Dean," she demanded, shifting so she was hovering over him. He realized she was waiting for his permission, waiting for him to tell her what to do. He scooted down to get a better angle and put his hands on her hips, meeting her eyes and losing himself in them for a moment. His voice was huskier than he'd intended when he ordered, "Now, Piper."

She came down fast, and they both gasped once he was fully sheathed in her. Dean closed his eyes, unable to look at her and last as long as she'd need him to. She set a fast pace, crying out and digging her fingernails into his shoulders. He would find marks there in the morning and smile for the first time since he'd told them about hell.

Dean reached down between her legs, circling her clit with his thumb, teasing her. "Oh, Dean, please," she begged softly, moaning when he moved harder against her clit. He moved his hips up to meet her thrusts, breaking into a light sweat from the effort he was exerting to hold himself together.

Just a little more pressure. He tilted his head back against the pillow and closed his eyes. "Come for me, Piper," he said roughly.

His words had the desired effect. Dean held her against him hard, listening to her cry out in pleasure as he lost himself in feeling her.

A few moments later she stepped off of him gingerly, going into the bathroom to clean up. When he heard the shower turn on, he stood and stripped _(I didn't even take my jacket off, what an ass),_ and followed her in.

 **xxxxx**

Several hours later, Dean was laying on his side with Piper's back pressed to his chest, his face buried in her hair. He breathed in her scent deeply, trying to go to sleep, unable to for fear he would have another damn nightmare and attack her.

She stirred in her sleep, nestling closer. "What's wrong, baby?"

He smiled at the sleep still thick in her voice. "Nothing, kitten, go back to sleep."

She sighed and interlaced her fingers with his. "Dean, stop worrying, you're not going to hurt me. Go to sleep."

 _How the hell does she always know?_

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**

 ****Forgive me if Dean's confession isn't properly edited... It's so hard for me to read, I have to skip it when I watch the episode.**


	33. Don't They Always?

Two weeks after Dean and Piper had returned from their night in the hotel, they were hunting nonstop. Piper didn't say anything about Dean's need to hunt, she understood what it was like to have so much pain that you had to work constantly to keep your mind off of it.

They were sitting in a diner, examining the case Sam had found, Dean and Piper sitting across from him.

Sam turned his laptop to Dean. "Looks like a werewolf to me."

Dean's mouth was full of food, and Piper wrinkled her nose as he spoke. "Hearts missing?"

Sam nodded. "Three bodies last month, mutilated and hearts gone. Lunar cycles match."

Piper picked up her coffee and inhaled the scent with her eyes closed. "Do they think it was an animal attack?"

There was a chuckle from her left. "Don't they always?"

Piper turned and grinned, launching herself out of the booth into Garth's waiting arms. "Garth!"

He laughed. "Smalls! Weird world, huh? You guys chasing this werewolf?"

She leaned back and examined him. "You look good, Garth."

"I always look good, Smalls."

She laughed. "Yes, you do. Yeah, we're hunting the werewolf. Do you have a lead?"

"Hell, I know who it is. Was gonna gank him tonight. Care to join?"

Dean cleared his throat. "Uh, Pipes? Who the hell is this?"

She turned and slipped her arm through Garth's. "This is Garth, guys! Garth, this is Sam and Dean Winchester."

Garth's eyes widened. "Uh, Dean who went to hell Dean?"

She nodded. "Long story, but yes, this is him."

Sam smiled, but Dean was still looking at Garth through narrowed eyes. "Is this the Garth who helped you while I was… Gone?"

Garth grinned. "Well, I tagged along, anyway, Smalls doesn't really need help."

Piper grinned affectionately at Garth. She had missed him. "Come on, Fitz, you're gonna make me blush."

 **xxxxx**

The hunt went well, almost without a hitch. Piper had invited Garth to dinner with them at their motel, which he had accepted. Dean wasn't sure how he felt about the skinny man who seemed so close to Piper. He was kind of a weirdo, and even if Piper had assured him there was nothing but friendship between them, Dean's jealousy was rearing it's rather ugly head.

Piper had gone out to pick up dinner, so the three men sat at the table in the motel room, drinking.

"So, what did Bobby have to do to convince you to help Piper?" Sam asked, taking a swig.

Garth smiled. "Well, hell, nothing. As soon as he said that Piper Finley needed help, I dropped everything."

Dean frowned. "Thought Pipes said you'd never met?"

Garth looked at them both strangely. "We hadn't. But, obviously, I knew who Smalls was."

Sam's eyebrows went up. "How?"

"Come on. You're joshing," Garth said amicably, waving a hand at them.

"What?" Dean tried to keep the anger out of his voice.

Garth made a face. "Seriously? You guys don't know that Piper is… Uh, well known?"

Sam shook his head, tensing. "No. Why is she well known?" Being famous in the hunter world wasn't always a good thing.

"Uh, okay, weird." Garth shook his head. "Piper is a good hunter, guys. A _great_ hunter. She's always willing to lend a hand, she impersonates law enforcement, she does research. She's even put together a few hunts."

Dean shrugged. "So? We knew that."

Garth shook his head again. "Do you honestly know any hunters who would just take a call from some random woman, telling them to go on a hunt, and they would just go?"

Dean met Sam's eyes. They both shook their heads.

"Of course not! That's crazy!" Garth smiled affectionately. "But Piper is something else, man. She's smart as a whip, she knows her stuff, and she's a hell of a hunter." He leaned back in his chair. "And, of course, she's Bobby Singer's surrogate daughter, she's John Winchester's surrogate daughter, and it has gotten through the grapevine that she's dating Dean Winchester." The door opened behind them to admit Piper. "Trust me, people know who Smalls is."

"Who knows who I am?" Piper asked cheerfully, carrying a bag of Chinese food and locking the door behind her.

Dean grinned when she came over to kiss him. "You're famous, kitten."

She frowned. "What?"

Sam was digging through the food already. "Garth was filling us in on your reputation."

She whipped around to glare at Garth. "I do not have a reputation, Fitz. Stop spreading rumors."

Garth shrugged. "Come on, Smalls, you know who you are. People know who you are."

"Who knows who I am?" She moved to sit next to Dean, but he placed a hand on her hip to guide her into his lap. His need to be touching her was still overwhelming. "No one knows who I am," she continued, submitting to him. He settled her in his lap, wrapping an arm around her waist and reaching for food. The screaming in his head was going quiet as Garth retorted.

"Keep telling yourself that, Smalls."

 **xxxxx**

Over the next two weeks, Dean kept a closer eye on Piper. He realized how often she was texting, how often she stepped outside to take a phone call. If she wasn't researching their case, she was often researching someone else's.

His woman was famous. Dean grinned, wondering if that made him a kept man.

"What are _you_ smiling at, Winchester?" The object of his musings asked cheerfully, looking over the edge of her laptop.

He made his way over to her, moving to stand behind her chair and place a hand behind her head. "Nothing, kitten." He thought for a moment, tangling his fingers in her hair. "I just didn't realize how often you work."

She tilted her head up to look at him. "There's always work to do, Dean. And not everyone is as good as you, handsome," she said affectionately, smiling up at him.

He leaned down to nuzzle her neck, the hand in her hair tilting her head back gently. "How about a break?"

She sighed and tilted her head to the side, her breath catching as his other hand wandered to the buttons on her shirt, unbuttoning them slowly. "I don't know, you'll have to convince me…"

He slowly spun the chair she was sitting in until she was facing him. Her eyes were wide and dark, her breathing shallow. He stepped forward, his knees touching hers, relishing the soft gasp she emitted at the contact. He leaned down slowly, trapping her between his arms as he placed his hands on the arms of the chair she was sitting in. "Is that so?"

She nodded mutely.

He moved quickly, picking her up and throwing her over his shoulder. "Dean! Dammit, Dean!" she squealed, laughing when he slapped her ass.

"Hush, kitten. Break time."

 **xxxxx**

She wasn't going to sugarcoat it. Piper was freaking exhausted.

She was laying with her head in Dean's lap in the front seat of Baby, her feet dangling out the window. Sam was in the backseat sleeping. Dean was looking for a new case. Piper was still keeping her mouth shut, but she was getting worried. She wasn't sure when the last time Dean had slept was, but she had gone to bed and woken up by herself the last few nights.

Sam woke with a start, sitting up and blinking at Dean. "What are you doing?"

The older hunter didn't stop. "What's it look like I'm doing?"

"Like you're looking for a job."

Dean snapped his fingers. "Yahtzee."

Sam rolled his eyes. "We just finished a job like two hours ago."

Dean shrugged. "Adrenaline's still pumping, I guess. So, what do you think... Cedar Rapids, Tulsa, or Chi-Town?"

Piper groaned. "Ugh, none."

Sam ignored her. "I am all for working. I really am. But you got us chasing cases nonstop for like a month now. We need sleep."

"Yeah, we can sleep when we're dead."

Piper frowned and sat up a little to look at him. "You're exhausted, Dean."

He flicked his eyes down to her. "I'm good."

Sam was shaking his head. "No, you're not. You're running on fumes, and you can't run forever."

Dean made a show of sighing and putting the laptop on the dash. Piper rolled her eyes. _Drama queen._ "And what am I running from?"

"From what you told us. Or are we pretending that never happened?

Dean ignored him to look down at Piper. "Stratton, Nebraska. Farm town. A man gets hacked to death in a locked room inside a locked house. No signs of forced entry."

She examined him for a moment. He did look tired, he looked as bad as Dean Winchester could look. But she wasn't going to stop him from running on all cylinders until he collapsed, at least not right now. She wasn't a hypocrite, she understood. So instead, she replied. "Sounds like a ghost."

He grinned. "Yes, it does."

Piper laid her head back down onto his thigh as he started the car.

"Well, that was horrific." Piper said weakly, sliding into the backseat of the Impala. "I hate it when it's humans." She thought the feral children hidden in the walls would haunt her for a long time.

Sam turned to Dean. "You okay?"

Dean was looking out the window. "You know, I felt for those sons of bitches back there. Lifelong torture turns you into something like that."

Sam frowned. "You were in hell, Dean. Look, maybe you did what you did there, but you're not them. They were barely human."

"Yeah, you're right. I wasn't like them. I was worse. They were animals, Sam, defending territory. Me? I did it for the sheer pleasure."

Piper's heart froze.

Dean didn't look at either of them. "I enjoyed it. They took me off the rack, and I tortured souls, and I liked it. All those years, all that pain. Finally getting to deal some out yourself. I didn't care who they put in front of me. Because that pain I felt, it just slipped away. No matter how many people I save, I can't change that. I can't fill this hole. Not ever."

 **xxxxx**

Dean didn't fight her when she booked them two rooms that night, giving Sam a key and leading Dean to the other room. She was grateful, because she didn't have the words to fight with him about it, but she knew he needed it. He needed to be alone with her.

She set their bags down on the beds, listening to him lock the door behind them. She turned and took his hands in hers, leading him slowly to the bathroom. He wasn't meeting her eyes, and she wasn't pushing the issue. He just let her lead him.

She shut the door behind them, then turned and started pulling his clothes off. He helped minimally, then watched as she undressed herself. She pulled him into the shower and turned the water on.

She washed him slowly, gently. She admired his hard body, his broad shoulders, his huge hands, his strong legs. He was _beautiful._ The only real reaction he had to her was closing his eyes when she ran her hands through his hair.

When she was done, she stepped closer and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his chest. She held him this way, listening to the strong beat of his heart, feeling his chest rise and fall with his breath beneath her cheek. After a long time, his arms slowly encircled her, and his cheek came to rest on her head. "Pipes, I…" he rasped, seemingly searching for the words.

She hushed him, not moving. "I love you, Dean. I know you don't think you deserve it, but I love you. You do deserve it, and you have it. And for tonight, let's let that be enough. We'll deal with everything else tomorrow. Okay?"

There was a long pause. "Okay, kitten."

 _No! No! No!_

Dean had the presence of mind to roll himself away from Piper, knowing he was having a nightmare. He was gasping, covered in sweat, as he hit the floor with a soft thump. He stayed where he was for a moment, hoping that he hadn't woken her up. When it became apparent that she was still sleeping, he sat up and put his head in his hands.

He didn't understand why she was still here. This was it. The worst that any human being could get. He had tortured those souls, and he had relished in it. The power to deal out pain instead of take it, the underlying satisfaction of being really, really good at something. As much as he loathed himself for it, Alastair had been right: Dean had had promise.

And all she did was hold him. Piper had stood next to him as he faced the worst part of himself, and she had weathered the storm with him. She really did love him, and even if he didn't understand, he could feel it start to put him back together.

Once he was sure he had calmed down enough to know he wasn't going to hurt her, he crawled back into bed with her, pulling her into his chest and burying his face in her hair.

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	34. Haven't We Both Already?

Piper was curled under Dean's shoulder in a diner booth, laughing as he whispered dirty talk to her and pulled her legs to lay across his. Since he had finally revealed everything from hell, he was rarely not touching her. She had finally gotten to shower by herself this morning, and when she had gotten out, he had promptly gotten her sweaty and breathless again.

She didn't mind, she enjoyed the attention he was showering on her. The big hand playing with the end of her braid, the knee touching hers, his lips brushing against her shoulder as she was researching on her laptop. Piper soaked it all up happily.

As if to drive home the point, Dean put a hand on her knee and moved it up very slowly, licking around the shell of her ear and murmuring all the things he'd like to do to her. "I'm going to bend you over-"

Sam coughed as he slid into the seat across from them. "Guys, come on, this is getting embarrassing. We're in a diner, for Christ's sake."

Piper smiled and put her hand on Dean's face, pushing him away. "Sorry, Sam."

She felt Dean grin against her palm. "Not sorry, Sammy," he said cheerfully against her hand.

Piper turned back to the younger hunter, and was surprised to see his expression softening as he looked at them. "Whatcha got?" She asked cheerfully, mulling that expression over in her mind.

"So get this. Guy gets stabbed on the street ten times."

Dean shrugged. "So?"

"So, there were no holes in his shirt."

 **xxxxx**

Piper walked beside Dean into a dimly lit theater, looking around curiously. There were two tables set up, one with two older men, and the other with one older man sitting across from a younger man.

They approached the older men, and Piper had to swat Dean's hand as it slid down her back to rest on her ass. When one of the men turned, she gave them what she hoped was a sunny smile. "Hello! Are you Vernon Haskell?"

The man who had turned narrowed his eyes at her. "Who's asking?"

Dean flashed his FBI badge. "I'm agent Ulrich, this is my partner, Agent Hammett. We're looking into the death of Patrick Vance."

Piper was distracted by the two men at the other table. The younger one was talking into a camera. "I'm Jeb Dexter. This is Devil Twist. We're chilling at the International Magicians' Convention, which is a dope chance to tip my hat to the wicked cats who came before me. Smoking hot effect last night, Jim."

The other man looked uncomfortable. "Jay."

Jeb's brow wrinkled. "Huh?"

"My name is Jay."

"Yeah, whatever. We can loop it later."

"Oh, God, what a douche bag." She wrinkled her nose. Vernon gave her an approving look.

Dean nodded. "Couldn't agree more. Is, uh-" He pulled out the tarot card they had found with the dead man's things. "This familiar to you?" He showed the card to Vernon, who shrugged

"Should it be?"

Pipe smiled. "Well, we heard that you used tarot cards in your act."

Vernon's eyebrows went up. "My act? That was a long time ago. I haven't touched a deck in years, you know." He held up his hand, which was trembling. Piper felt a wave of sympathy wash over her.

Dean seemed less affected. "Do you know someone that might use them now?"

"Well, there was a guy down on Bleeker Street."

The other man at the table nodded. "Oh, yeah. He, he peddles that kind of specialty stuff."

Piper turned to him. "Did he have a problem with Vance?"

Vernon nodded. "Matter of fact, Vance crossed him about a year ago. Probably cost him fifty grand in royalties."

"Do you know the exact address?"

"Four twenty-six Bleeker." Vernon supplied.

"Ask for Chief."

Dean nodded. "Chief. Thank you."

 **xxxxx**

Piper was still chuckling at Dean's encounter with Chief as they sat in the motel room. She was sitting cross-legged on her and Dean's bed, laptop balanced on her knee. Dean was laying next to her propped up on his elbow, his hand resting on her other knee. They were discussing the case.

Sam was on his laptop, too. "Looks like this guy Jay was a pretty big deal in the seventies."

"Which in magician land means what, exactly?" Dean asked, his eyes not leaving Piper's computer screen.

Sam shrugged. "Big enough to play radio city music hall."

Piper met his eyes. "What changed?

Another shrug. "He got old."

Dean's eyebrows went up. "Okay, so maybe incredible Jay is using real magic to stage a comeback."

Piper looked down at him. "It's possible. There are spells that create a death transference."

He looked up at her and squeezed her knee gently. "How does the tarot card mix into it?"

She shook her head. "I don't know."

Dean leaned back. "Man… Hope I die before I get old. Whole thing seems brutal, don't it?"

Piper smacked him lightly on the back of the head. "Excuse me?"

"You think we will? Die before we get old?" Sam interrupted.

Dean shrugged. "Haven't we both already?"

Sam rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean, Dean. I mean, do you think we'll still be chasing demons when we're sixty?"

Dean shook his head. "No, I think we'll be dead, for good." Piper glared at him, and he held his hand up defensively. "What? You want to end up like… Like Travis? Huh? Or Gordon, maybe?"

"Bobby didn't turn out too bad," Piper objected, still glaring at him.

Dean snorted. "Oh, yeah, there's a poster child for growing old gracefully."

"Maybe we'll be different, Dean," Sam insisted.

Dean looked at his brother incredulously. "What kind of Kool-Aid you drinking, man? Sammy, it ends bloody or sad. That's just the life."

There was a beat of silence. Piper was mad, and she couldn't understand why. Hunters very rarely lived to old age, even Bobby was an anomaly, and he wasn't that old. She knew that. But the thought of Dean dying before living a long life upset her.

"What if we could win?" Sam asked quietly.

Piper turned to him. "Win?"

"If there was a way we could just… Put an end to all of it."

Dean's eyes narrowed. "Is there something you're not telling us?"

Sam shook his head. "No. Look, I'm just saying… I just wish there was a way we could… Go after the source. That's all. Cut the head off the snake."

Dean snorted again. "Well, the problem with the snake is that it has a thousand heads. Evil bitches just keep piling out of the Volkswagen."

"Yeah. Guess you're right."

 **xxxxx**

Piper's throat ached from the noose that the magician had dropped around her neck in the theater, but she kept silent as they walked into the bar to join Jay the next morning.

She felt bad for the man. He had to lose one of his best friends, and even though it had been the right thing to do, Piper wasn't sure she would have been able to do it. She thought there was a distinct possibility that she would have just gone with Sam or Dean, become immortal, and kept a low profile. She felt bad for Jay, but she also had a lot of respect for him.

She laid a gentle hand on his shoulder and rasped, "Hey, Jay. We wanted to thank you for what you did yesterday."

He didn't turn around. "I killed my best friend yesterday, and you want to thank me?" Piper let her hand drop.

Sam looked around. "Where's Vernon?"

"Oh, he's gone. He said he didn't want to speak to me again after what I did to Charlie."

There was a beat, then Dean spoke. "Listen, Jay… You know Charlie was never going to give up what he was doing. Ever. You did the right thing."

Jay did turn around now, pain blazing in his eyes. "Are you sure about that? You know, Charlie was like my brother. And now he's dead... Because I did 'the right thing.' He offered me a gift, and I just threw it back in his face. So now I have to spend the rest of my life old and alone. What's so right about that?"

The bartender held up a pack of playing cards. "Jay, your cards."

"Throw them away," Jay muttered as he pushed past them and walked out the door. Piper watched him go and felt guilt settle onto her shoulders.

Dean slung an arm around her waist, trying for lighthearted. "Well, I don't know about you, but I could go for a beer."

Sam shook his head and started away. "I'm going for a walk."

Dean shrugged and led Piper to a booth where they slid in together. She lay her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, listening to his deep voice rumble in his chest as he ordered for the both of them.

When the waitress had left, she lifted her head and looked at him. "Hey, what was all that crap at the motel?" she whispered, trying to save her throat. "About not making it to old age."

He frowned at her. "Pipes, you probably shouldn't be talking."

She glared. "You wish, Winchester. What were you talking about?"

He shifted uncomfortably and looked away from her. "It's the reality, kitten. Hunters don't live long, and they usually go out bloody. I plan on going down swingin', don't get me wrong, but I'm not going to… To delude myself into thinking this has a happy ending."

Piper frowned, but didn't say anything. She shifted closer and put her head back on his broad shoulder. Dean _was_ her happy ending, and even if she had given up the thought of old age a long time ago… Maybe now she wanted it.

"Look, Pipes," Dean started slowly, still not meeting her eyes. "If… If things could be different… If we could be normal, yeah. I, uh, I would want that. A long life." He swallowed hard and kept his gaze up and away from her. "With you."

Piper's heart stuttered to a stop. _Did Dean Winchester just tell me he wants to spend his life with me?_

He continued through her silence. "If we could have that apple pie life that Sammy always wanted, then I would want that. But we can't, and I can't… I can't think about stuff like that. I can't think about what my life, what _our_ life, would be like without all this crap." He pulled her close and planted a kiss on the top of her head. "I just can't, kitten, okay?"

She nodded and nestled into him, feeling glowing warmth in her middle, despite the pain in her throat. "Okay, Dean," she said softly.

 **xxxxx**

Sam walked down the street, looking for Ruby's car. He was glad Dean and Piper hadn't questioned him.

When he thought of them, his heart ached. They were good together, they were _right._ But what Dean said rang through Sam's head. They weren't going to get to grow old together, or have kids, or buy a house.

And Sam wasn't going to grow old, either.

He opened the door to Ruby's car. "Okay, I'm in."

"What changed your mind?"

Sam thought of Dean and Piper. "I don't want to be doing this when I'm an old man."

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	35. This Place is Giving Me the Heebies

"So get this, we have a wealthy couple, the Garners, slaughtered in their bedroom two nights ago."

Piper towelled her damp hair and came to stand behind Sam, looking over his shoulder at the laptop. They had just gotten back from a run. "Signs of forced entry?"

Sam shook his head and looked up at her. "No, and there's an overnight staff who heard the screams, but they say the door wouldn't open."

Dean grumbled and rolled out of bed. The sight of him, still sleepy and running a hand down his face, made her breath catch. _Good grief, he's gorgeous._ "Sounds like a vengeful spirit to me," she said, turning back to Sam. He was grinning smugly at her, so she smacked him on the back of the head. "Any recent deaths in the family?"

Sam shrugged, rubbing the back of his head. "Dunno. I think we should talk to the staff."

Dean came out of the bathroom and pulled Piper close, burying his face in her hair and breathing deeply. "Who are we talking to? Can we eat first? Why are you two up so early?"

Piper leaned back into him. "Witnesses, yes, and we went for a run while you slept in, lazy."

"You didn't think I was lazy last night," he murmured, nuzzling her ear. She shivered at the reminder.

"Let's go eat before I lose my appetite," Sam muttered darkly.

 **xxxxx**

"I'm so sorry for your loss, Mrs. Barone." Piper said sympathetically. The woman gave her a sad smile.

It never failed to amaze Dean when victims responded to Piper. She just hit them with those big hazel eyes, and they told her everything. Sam was the same way. It made things go a lot quicker, but it did make him rather useless.

He spent his time watching Piper's ass as they walked through the house with the victim's live-in maid. That skirt was giving him thoughts he would have to kick Sammy out of the room for.

"It was terrible," the maid was saying, "They were screaming, and the door wouldn't open."

"I'm so sorry, it sounds awful."

The maid pointed to one of the rooms. "That's where it… Happened."

Piper placed a hand on the woman's arm. "It's okay, Mrs. Barone, my partner and I will look around on our own. You can go back downstairs." The woman shot Piper a grateful look and went down the steps.

Dean had already stepped into the room the couple had died in, and was holding the crime scene tape up for Piper to come through. "Jesus," he muttered, dropping the tape and placing a hand at the small of her back.

There was blood spatter everywhere, with heaviest concentration centering on the bed. Dean wrapped an arm around Piper's waist when she stepped closer to him.

"It's an actual bloodbath," she whispered, horrified.

"Come on, kitten, let's look around."

He kept an eye on Piper as they examined the room. Things had been awkward after what he'd said in the diner for a while, but they had smoothed out. _She had to have known,_ he thought for the millionth time since then.

Piper picked up a photo that showed the victim, smiling at the camera, arms wrapped around a woman of similar age and features. "Sisters?" she asked, looking up at him when he joined her.

He nodded. "Maybe." He pointed at the other woman in the picture. "Necklace looks expensive."

She nodded. "Let's go, this place is giving me the heebies."

They made their way downstairs to find the maid. "Mrs. Barone?"

The woman's eyes widened and she looked at Dean. "Yes, sir?"

"Was there anyone who wanted to hurt Mr. and Mrs. Garner?"

Mrs. Barone shook her head. "No, no, they were lovely people. Very generous, and very involved in the community."

"Did they face any recent tragedy?"

Mrs. Barone's eyes swung to Piper, her eyebrows wrinkling. "What does that have to do with what happened to them?"

Piper smiled reassuringly. "We're just trying to look at every angle."

The maid didn't look convinced, but she nodded. "Okay, um, yes. Mrs. Garner's sister died a few months ago. It devastated Mrs. Garner, she was depressed for weeks."

Piper nodded. "Were they close?"

"Very. They were very important to each other. Victoria, Mrs. Garner's sister, was a little bit… Unstable, sometimes. Mrs. Garner was extremely protective of her younger sister. She insisted that Victoria move in here at the end of her life. She deteriorated quickly after that."

Following his intuition, Dean asked, "How did Mr. Garner feel about his sister-in-law?"

Mrs. Barone's lips pursed. "I do not wish to speak ill of the dead, but… Mr. Garner appreciated his wife's unstable sister a little too much, if you catch my drift."

Piper frowned. "Did he take advantage of her?" At the woman's panicked look, Piper smiled reassuringly again. "Mrs. Barone, no one needs to know how we go this information. We're trying to find justice for your former employers."

Mrs. Barone searched Piper's face. Whatever she saw there apparently satisfied her, because she spoke. "I think so," she said in a horrified whisper. "I heard them a few times, when the Mrs. was out doing charity work. They were… Um, shouting."

Dean flicked his eyes to Piper's. She met them for a moment, then turned back to smile at the other woman. "I think we have everything we need, Mrs. Barone, thank you so much for your cooperation."

"Let me see you out."

 **xxxxx**

They drove in silence for a while. Dean reached across and grasped Piper's hand, pulling it up to press it against his lips before interlacing his fingers with hers and resting their hands between them. The screaming in his head quieted. "So, that's pretty messed up."

Piper nodded. "Rat bastard, I hope it _was_ the sister who killed him."

He nodded. "Let's go see if Sammy found anything."

 **xxxxx**

"Nothing," Sam said as they walked in the door, still holding hands. His eyes flicked down to that, then back to his computer screen. "The couple was at a charity auction the night they died, so there's some pictures, but nothing else."

"Let me see the picture," Piper said. Dean let himself be pulled along to look over her shoulder. When he saw the portrait of the dead couple, he frowned. "Isn't that Victoria's necklace that her sister's wearing?"

He watched the back of her head bob up and down. "Yeah, it is. Think that's it?"

Sam was looking at the two of them. "Who's Victoria?"

"Dead woman's sister. She was a loon." Piper elbowed Dean in the ribs and he winced. "Uh, she was 'unstable.' The charitable Mr. Garner took advantage of it to screw the sister."

Sam's eyes widened. "Jesus."

Piper nodded. "I'm kind of glad he's dead."

"What's with the necklace?"

"It was Victoria's," Piper answered as Dean stepped away to take his coat off. "She probably left it to her sister. Can you find out where it is now?"

The clack of keys sounded through the motel room. Dean signed and fell back onto the bed, folding his hands behind his head. "Good to know that rich people have problems, too."

Piper sat next to him and leaned back on her hands, smiling down at him. "'Rich people?' We steal money for a living, Dean. What is it that you want that rich people have?"

Dean grinned. "Maids."

Piper's outraged gasp was the only warning he had before getting smacked in the face with a pillow. He launched himself at her, rolling so she was underneath him, struggling to free the pillow trapped between them. "Slut," she muttered, mock glaring at him, fighting the smile tilting her lips upwards.

He grinned and caught her mouth with his, reveling in her. "You like it."

"For Christ's sake. I looked away for thirty seconds. Pull it together, people."

Piper blushed and pushed Dean off of her. He went willingly, catching her around the waist and pulling her on top of him. She laughed. "Dean!"

She scrambled away from him and hit Sam with a winning smile. "Sorry, Sam."

He pointed a finger at Dean. "I expected this from him," his finger moved to point at Piper. "But I expected better out of you, Finley."

She rolled her eyes. "Shaddup. Whatcha got?" Dean grinned and stood next to her, tuning most of what Sam was saying out. Pipes would listen.

He couldn't remember being this content. Of course, they were facing insane odds. They still didn't know why God had commanded that Dean be dragged out of hell, and something was going on with Sam. But Piper made it all fade away, made it all seem unimportant.

The only dark spot was his inability to tell her that. He'd had dozens of chances, and it still caught in his throat. Why couldn't he tell her?

Her fingers snapped in front of his face. "Earth to Winchester. Have you been listening at all?"

He blinked. "Nope. What's the plan?"

Sam rolled his eyes. "Mrs. Garner bequeathed the necklace to her daughter, Olivia. We need to get it from her."

 **xxxxx**

Piper knocked on the door to the lovely home of Olivia Garner, hoping this would be easy.

No such luck.

A pretty young woman answered the door in a maid's uniform. "Can I help you?"

Piper flashed a badge, sensing the guys doing the same behind her. "Hi, we're with the FBI. I'm Agent Roth, these are Agents Stone and Malloy. We have a few questions for Olivia."

The maid frowned. "I'm sorry, Miss Garner isn't here. She's preparing for the gala tonight."

"Gala?"

"It's a farewell gala to her parents. It's very exclusive." The maid sniffed at Piper condescendingly.

"When will she be back?" Piper asked tightly, fists clenching at her sides.

"Tomorrow morning," she said calmly, already closing the door on them. "I'm sure she'll be happy to see you then." The door shut firmly in Piper's face.

Piper growled, and turned to glare at Dean when he chuckled. He raised his hands in submission. "Hey, don't come at me, I didn't shut the door on you."

"What are we going to do now?" Sam asked as they turned. "Maybe the ghost is at rest?"

Piper nodded. "I mean, she killed the guy she wanted to kill, so she should be, right?" She sighed and shook her head. "I don't know, though. I don't want to risk it."

"Well, what are we supposed to do?"

Sam grinned. "How hard do you guys think it is to get into a fancy party?"

 **xxxxx**

"This is stupid. We look stupid. Where is Piper? This is stupid." Dean was muttering under his breath as they moved between people at the gala. He hated tuxedos that Piper had insisted they wear, they were worse than the money suits they used for FBI work. He hated that Piper wasn't with them. She had insisted they go ahead and she would catch up. And he hated the stupid look on Sam's face.

"What?" he bit out.

"Dude, chill. It's just a suit, and this is just a party."

Dean glanced around. All of the men were in suits, the women in fancy dresses. There was no beer, or cheeseburgers, just tiny food on tiny plates and all he could see was champagne. "Some party."

"Let's look for Olivia, she'll probably be wearing the necklace."

They mingled for a while. Dean tried to put on his charming face, but he was still irritated. Tuxedos were not made to hide guns, and the one he had hidden in his waistband was uncomfortable. Piper wasn't here, and she had been weird when they'd left. This whole thing was bullshit.

He went to the bar, hoping for a whiskey, eyeing people on his way there. His eye caught on a slender woman in a black dress with long sleeves, but no back. Raven hair was piled on top of her head, her shapely legs in black heels. _Hello._ Just because he was with Piper didn't mean he couldn't flirt, right?

He sauntered up next to her, feeling better about the evening. He didn't look at her, just up at the menu. He flicked his eyes to her, and the line he'd had prepared died on his tongue as amused hazel eyes crashed with his green ones. _"Piper?"_

 **xxxxx**

 _Worth it,_ Piper thought smugly, examining the gobsmacked expression on Dean's face. She had stayed behind to dye her hair and change, a small part of her hoping for this exact situation. "Hi, handsome," she said softly.

"Holy shit, Piper. You look… Amazing."

She beamed. "Thank you." She ran a hand up the lapel of his jacket, smiling wider when she felt his breath catch. "You don't clean up too bad yourself, Winchester."

He fingered one of the black curls framing her face. "Is this why you stayed behind?"

She nodded, eyes wide. He grinned. "I like it."

She raised up and pressed her lips against his jaw, unable to help herself. His hands settled at her waist. "Don't get used to it, it's gone as soon as I can."

There was an irritated noise behind her. "Dean, come on, Piper is going to-" Sam's eyes widened as Piper turned around, smiling again. "Piper?"

"You know, I'm going to start getting offended," Piper said mildly as Sam stuttered.

"No, no! You look great, you always do, just…" Sam looked down and rubbed the back of his neck. "You look great, Pipe."

She grinned. "Come on, Winchesters. Let's go hunt a ghost."

 **xxxxx**

Dean watched as Piper tried to calm Olivia Garner down, and failed.

"My parents are dead, and there are crazy people in my home. And now you… Want my mother's necklace?"

"Miss Garner, I know this sounds nuts," Piper said soothingly. "But you have to believe me. I… I think your aunt had reason to be angry at your father."

Olivia put her hands to her mouth. "Oh, God. He really was raping her." She looked down. "I suspected, but… How could he do that?"

"He was a Dick, Olivia." Dean said, not seeing the point in beating around the bush. "But your aunt isn't thinking anymore. And she's not your aunt. She wants revenge on everyone for the pain she suffered in life."

"We can help," Piper said softly. "Your aunt was cremated, but we think she's attached to the necklace."

 **xxxxx**

Dean watched the necklace burn, squeezing Piper's hand. "It's kind of sad," she said quietly, laying her head on his shoulder. "I hate cases like this."

He moved to wrap an arm around her. "Me, too, Pipes."

She stood. "I'm going to head to the car." She wrapped her arms around her middle and walked away.

Dean met Sam's eyes. "She okay?"

"I'm sure she'll be fine." The fire burned out, ashes blowing in the gentle breeze. "Come on, Sammy."

They walked back to the Impala. Dean frowned and looked into the empty backseat. "Piper?" He looked around the car. "Piper?!"

Sam drew his gun and looked around. "Piper?"

She was gone.

 _"Piper!?"_

 **xxxxx**

"Well, find her, Bobby!" Dean shouted. The trace on Piper's phone hadn't worked. They had gone back to the motel after she had disappeared, and immediately called Bobby.

"Don't you take that tone with me, boy. You're not the only one who loves Piper." Bobby snarled.

Dean flipped the phone shut, trying to control his emotions. Trying to think around the shrieking in his head, now joined by shrieking in his heart.

Luckily, Sam chose that moment to walk through the door. But his strained face and tight shoulders told a bad story. "No EMF, but I found traces of sulfur. It could be a coincidence, but-"

"Demons," Dean said darkly, the hunter in him focusing on the threat. "Demons took her."

"But why?" Sam held his hands up defensively when turned to glare. "Dean, you know I want Piper back as much as you do. But let's be smart."

It was too much. Dean grabbed the closest thing to him and flung it across the room. He watched the lamp shatter dispassionately. The storm in his chest was raging. They took her because of him. He knew it. They were going to hurt her because of him.

He would tear them apart limb from limb.

"We have to find her, Sammy."

 **xxxxx**

Sam stepped outside and flipped his phone open, dialing her number from memory.

"Sam?"

"Ruby. Piper's missing."

"Bummer." Ruby hadn't forgiven Piper for the sheriff's office incident.

Sam sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Find her, Ruby."

"With what? I'm a demon, not a psychic, Sam."

Sam flipped his phone shut, angry and desperate. Where the hell was Piper?

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	36. So Pay Attention

Piper woke slowly, her head pounding. Her mouth tasted like pennies. She was laying on her side. When she tried to get up, she realized her hands were handcuffed behind her. "Great," she muttered darkly.

She looked around, trying to get her bearings. It was a small room, probably a bedroom, without furniture.

The door opened. A tall blonde man walked through, eyes lighting up when he saw her. "Ah, Miss Finley. So kind of you to join me."

"Where the hell am I? Where are Sam and Dean?"

He snarled when she said Dean's name. He stepped forward and kicked her in the stomach, hard. She grunted as the air left her body. "You keep that upstart's name to yourself, whore." He took a deep breath, and when his eyes opened, they were black. "Winchester is _nothing_ , do you understand? Alastair didn't see it, but I did…"

"What?"

"As soon as that bastard got off the rack, suddenly he's some sort of _golden_ child. He 'shows promise.' He was there for barely ten years!" The demon was pacing, running frustrated hands through his hair. "I was there for centuries, and I didn't get nearly the recognition-" He stopped, seeming to realize that he was ranting at the enemy. "But none of that matters now. I can show them what I can do. And I can show them on that worthless bastard's woman."

"You're a demon… And you took me to get to Dean?"

She was rewarded with another kick. He crouched and met her eyes. "I couldn't overpower Sam, but I knew I could take the girlfriend. Stupid bitch. And he'll come running to save you." The demon's eyes closed. _"Then_ we'll see who showed _promise."_

Fury flooded her veins. She struggled to sit up, cursing herself for not changing out of the damn dress. _"Let's_ get a couple of things straight, you filthy piece of _shit."_ He snarled, but she ignored him. "First of all, he will not come for me. He's not stupid. Second of all, you didn't _take_ me, you _chloroformed_ me, you spineless weasel." She met his eyes, letting anger wrap her in its comforting warmth. "And third, and this is the most important thing, so pay attention." She leaned forward, rejoicing in the uncertainty in his eyes. _"I do not need to be rescued."_

Before he could back away, she snapped forward and used the only weapon handy: her teeth. Clenching her teeth down hard on whatever part of his face she'd gotten, she ripped away hard, her stomach rolling at the sound it made. She spat his flesh out, wincing. "You taste like ass."

He was screaming, clutching his cheek. He came forward and hit her hard in the face twice. "If I didn't need you alive, I would peel your goddamn face off, you little skank." He stood and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

"Ugh. I hate demons," she muttered. She sat up again, groaning. "Dumbass, jealous demons at that."

She leaned her head back and shook it hard, feeling vicious triumph when she heard a bobby pin fall to the floor. She was skilled at many things, but putting bobby pins in right wasn't one of them. She picked it up and closed her eyes to pick the lock on the handcuffs. She was rewarded several slow minutes later when they popped open.

She rubbed her wrists and stood, wiping blood off of her face. She looked around the room, but it was completely empty. There was nothing to use as a weapon. "Shit."

She kicked her heels off, taking a moment to mourn their loss. Then she gritted her teeth and started ripping her long skirt so it ended at her upper thigh. "The better to kick you in the teeth with, my dear," she said softly, mourning the dress, too. It had been an expensive outfit.

She moved to touch the doorknob, and darkness engulfed her.

 **xxxxx**

She woke up in the white room, the trickster standing next to the bed. "Piper, did they hurt you?" he asked anxiously.

"Okay, ignoring the fact that you are the second person in a day who has _abducted_ me, how did you know I'm in trouble?"

"No time, precious. Listen, there are too many demons there, and they all have a beef with your boys. I can't help you. You need to get outside and pray. Pray to Castiel."

She leaned back. "Pray to Castiel? What?"

"There are no times for questions, Piper! The place is warded against angels, but if you get outside, he can hear you. Go now."

He placed two fingers against her forehead, and she blacked out before she could ask so what the hell was going on.

 **xxxxx**

She woke up on the floor. "Okay, as soon as I get out of here, we are having words about that bastard."

She stood and considered for a moment, then opened the door. She peeked out and found herself alone. She slipped down the hall slowly, her back pressed against the wall, desperately wishing for a gun.

A demon came down the hall in front of her. He snarled as he spotted her. Piper launched herself at him, punching him in the throat hard on impact to prevent him from crying out. He choked and hit the floor with a soft thud. _"Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii…"_ she muttered the exorcism, keeping a hand on his throat and straddling his hips to counteract the bucking he was doing a get her off of him.

She winced as black smoke flew out of his mouth. _God, I hope no one heard that._

She felt the body for a pulse, and was relieved when she found one. She frisked him quickly, coming up with a knife from his waistband. She took it and went down the hallway, running silently in her bare feet.

Her luck didn't hold. She ran down a hallway, taking a turn and stopping when she was confronted with three demons. "Shit," she cursed softly, turning and sprinting the other way.

They followed her a beat later, thundering down the hallway. _Dammit, dammit, dammit,_ she thought as she ran, looking desperately for a door out. But the windows she was passing made it look like she was on the second story. She didn't have time for stairs, and the demons were gaining on her.

She hated going through windows.

She waited until she got to a big window, and when she found one, she took a sharp right and flew through it, closing her eyes and curling into herself, dimly grateful for the protection the long sleeves of her dress gave her. Still, a hundred shards of glass cut into her, and she couldn't help the scream that came from her. She hit the ground and heard a pop, screaming again as agony exploded through her shoulder.

She scrunched her eyes closed and concentrated. _Castiel, please, help me._

She heard the sound of wings behind her and exhaled sharply. "Piper Finley, what is happening?"

She turned onto her back, groaning when it jostled her shoulder, which she was sure was broken. She met the angel's eyes. "Cas, please just get me the hell out of here."

He blinked, then looked up as the demons started shouting. He knelt and gathered into his arms, surprisingly tender. He held her against his chest and the world swirled around them.

 **xxxxx**

Dean wasn't sure how many more times he could stand Piper showing up in another man's arms covered in blood. A man could only take so much.

"What the hell?"

Castiel had appeared in their motel room, cradling Piper to his chest. Her shoulder looked wrong, and she was covered in tiny, bleeding cuts. She looked at him and smiled, not attempting to move from the angel's arms. "Hey, you."

He hurried forward, but stopped just short of taking her. That shoulder had to hurt. "Piper, what happened?"

"Demons." She sucked in a breath when the angel approached the bed and put her down on it, helping her scoot so her back was resting against the headboard. "He _chloroformed_ me, can you believe that shit?"

Castiel frowned down at her. "You've been injured again, Piper Finley."

She ignored him to keep talking to Dean. He sat next to her legs on the bed, placing a hand on her shin, willing the voices in his head to quiet down. "I think he was jealous of you. About you, uh, becoming a favorite," she said calmly.

Dean frowned. "What?"

She met his gaze. "He mentioned something about Alastair, and 'showing promise.'"

Pain hit him in his heart. "So, it was because of me."

She rolled her eyes. "Stop it, Winchester. It was because they're demons, and that's what demons do. It was not because of you. Now, my shoulder hurts and I had to leave my shoes behind, so quit wallowing in guilt and come comfort me."

Her words had his lips tugging into a smile. "Yes, ma'am." He gingerly crawled onto the bed next to her, taking her hand and pressing it to his lips.

Castiel was studying her closely. It made Dean's hackles raise. "Anything else, Castiel?"

Piper hit him gently on the arm, not taking her eyes off of the angel. "Dean, Cas saved me. Be nice."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Cas?"

She ignored him. "Thank you, Castiel. I think you probably saved my life."

"Yes, I did." Dean hmphed as Piper laughed at the angel's blunt response. Castiel leaned forward and pressed two fingers to her forehead. Dean watched with wide eyes as the cuts disappeared, her swollen lip returned to normal, and her shoulder looked like it was supposed to again.

She smiled. "Thank you, wings."

He frowned. "I thought we were past disrespect, Piper Finley."

She laughed again. Dean found himself being enchanted by her. "It's not disrespect anymore, wings. It's more like… Begrudging affection."

Something in Castiel's face changed, and if he hadn't been a dickhead angel, Dean would have sympathized. Something about her wide hazel eyes watching you while she told you she liked you... It had certainly knocked Dean for a loop when it had happened to him.

"Very well, Piper," Castiel stood. "You should not stay here tonight. They're going to be angry that you escaped."

She shook her head. "Doesn't matter, I'm going back. We can't leave a building full of demons here."

There was something scary in the angel's eyes. Dean found himself looking at a soldier. "Do not concern yourself, Piper. The demons will be taken care of." With the sound of wings, Castiel disappeared.

Piper sighed and leaned into Dean. He put his arm around her shoulders and held her close. "How ya holdin' up, kitten?"

"I'm okay, but I'm exhausted." She lifted her head and looked up at him. "Where's Sam?"

Dean started and felt a guilty flush spread across his skin. "Ah, out looking for you." He pulled his phone out and hit the speed dial for Sam while ignoring her chuckles.

"Dean?"

"Sam. I've got her. Well, Castiel got her, and brought her back."

There was a beat of silence, and Dean didn't interrupt it. He was fighting some feelings back himself. "Is she all right?" Sam asked quietly.

Dean handed the phone to Piper. "Say hi, Pipes."

She smiled and took it. "Hi, Sam," she said softly. "Come back so we can get the hell out of here."

 **xxxxx**

Once they had repeated the same phone call with Bobby, they headed back to Sioux Falls. Sam took the backseat to sleep, so Piper was curled against Dean, dozing on and off against his shoulder.

His feeling of contentment had come back. Driving his Baby, Piper next to him, Sam in the backseat, on their way to Bobby's. For someone who had just come back from hell, life couldn't get a whole lot better.

"What are you smiling at?" She asked softly, looking up at him. He glanced down at her and felt the warmth in his chest spread. She was wrapped in his leather jacket. He had discovered that he _very_ much liked her in his clothes.

"Just glad you're safe, kitten."

She smiled. "Me, too." She sat up a little and pressed a kiss to his jaw. "I love you," she whispered gently, starting to nibble her way down to his neck.

And there it was. He wanted to say it. At least, he thought he wanted to say it. But the point was moot if he couldn't even think the words! Piper deserved more than he could give her, but if he couldn't even tell her, he didn't deserve her at all.

She must have sensed his distress, because she sighed and sat back. "Dean, baby, it's okay."

He looked at her briefly, noticing the shadow of sadness in her eyes before looking at the road again. "Pipes, I… I…" _Dammit!_

He was interrupted by her soft fingers on his lips. "Dean, it's okay, really. I understand. Like I said, I don't say it so you'll say it back. I know how you feel about me, Dean."

She tucked herself under his arm again and almost immediately resumed dozing. Dean wasn't happy. The situation was what he should have wanted… Access to mind-blowing sex pretty much any time, no expectations, and they were on the road.

So why did he feel a little empty?

 **xxxxx**

The angel Castiel surveyed the wreckage. There were bodies littering the grounds and inside the building. He found himself wishing that he could smite the demon who had hurt Piper Finley again. It was a strange feeling. He tried to analyze it.

"Castiel, are we done here?" Castiel turned to see Balthazar exiting the building, wiping his hands on a towel.

"Are all the demons dead?"

"Sure are." Balthazar came to stand next to Castiel. "Why are we here, Cas? This wasn't on the list of missions for the garrison, and it's not a seal."

Castiel thought for a moment. "These demons, they intended to hurt my friend. She was able to get out and pray to me, but it was close."

Balthazar's eyebrows rose. "A friend? This was for _revenge?"_

Castiel was uncomfortable. "Not exactly, I-"

He was cut off by Balthazar's hand in the air. "Cas, you know I'll fight beside you always. And if it's for a friend, all the more reason." Castiel found himself being examined by the other angel. "But I feel that I have to ask, who is this woman who was able to make Castiel, Angel of the Lord, Obedient Soldier, bend the rules?"

Now Castiel spoke freely, hoping to get insight from Balthazar. "Piper Finley. She is a hunter. She.. She said she has affection for me."

Balthazar's chuckling left Castiel feeling more confused than he had been before.

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**

 ****Long chapter... I bit off more than I thought I did with this chapter, lol. Lots to wrap up. Hope you enjoy!**

 ****Also... I have finally figured out editing on this fucking website. SO. If there are any parts that completely confused you, you should be able to go back and the should be much clearer now. Thanks, beautiful readers, for your patience.  
**


	37. This Isn't a Second Chance

Piper stood next to Dean, her hand wrapped in his. Sam and Bobby were on his other side. Guilt lay heavy in the air between the four of them as they watched Pamela's funeral pyre burn.

 _Because of us, because of us, because of us._ The words had set up a drum beat in Piper's head, and she let it happen. It was good to remember this, this feeling. They had to be careful who they dragged into this mess that had become their lives, because people got hurt. Good people.

People like Pamela.

The first sticks started to fall. The pyre was mostly ash now. "Come on, kitten," Dean said softly, squeezing her hand and pulling her along with him back to the Impala. Sam and Bobby stayed where they were.

"Tessa said something to me, before she disappeared." Dean started as they reached the Impala.

"Tessa is the reaper? Who tried to take you at the hospital?" Piper asked, her mind sluggishly trying to keep up. She was tired.

He nodded. "She said to trust my instincts. She said this isn't a second chance, that the angels don't have something good planned."

Piper thought about it slowly while Dean stayed silent. Finally, "She's probably right. I mean, it's not like the angels have been very forthcoming when it comes to the truth. Even Castiel, he just said that he lied to you about the seal." She sighed. "I wanted to believe, I did, and I'm grateful that I have you back, but…" she smiled and leaned into him. "Only one good thing has ever just _happened_ to me, so I don't have a lot of faith."

He pressed his lips to her forehead. "Yeah, me neither."

 **xxxxx**

Bobby went home, and the other three got into the Impala. Sam offered to drive, so Dean and Piper were in the backseat. She had curled herself into him, her back pressed against the door and her legs stretched across his lap. She rested her head on his shoulder and listened as Sam spoke.

"Ruby will meet us outside Cheyenne. She's been tracking some leads. I know she's not exactly on your Christmas list, but if she can help us get to Lilith-"

Dean shrugged. "Hey, man, work with Ruby, don't. I don't really give a rat's ass."

Sam looked at the rear view. "What's your problem?"

"Pamela didn't want anything to do with this and we dragged her back into it, Sam."

"She knew what was at stake."

Piper frowned. "Did she? Because I sure as hell didn't."

Sam ran a hand through his hair. "Guys-"

"I'm tired of burying friends, Sam." Dean interrupted, pulling Piper closer.

Sam sighed. "Look, we catch a fresh trail-"

"And we follow it, I know. Like I said, I'm just, I'm just getting tired." Piper pressed a kiss into Dean's jaw, hoping to provide comfort.

"Well, get angry." Sam muttered as they pulled into the motel parking lot.

They got out of the car and went to the door in silence. Piper unlocked it and let them in.

"Ah, home crappy home," Dean grumbled as he flicked the light switch on.

Uriel and Castiel stood in the middle of the room. Piper gasped.

"Winchester, Winchester, and Finley," Uriel drawled. Piper tried to meet Castiel's eyes, trying to read his face for a clue as to the reason of the visit. He avoided her gaze.

Dean groaned. "Oh, come on."

Uriel looked at Dean. "You are needed."

Piper frowned, never looking at the other angel. "Needed? We just got back from needed."

Uriel glared at her. "You mind your tone with me."

"You mind your tone with _us."_ She snarled back, finally turning her gaze to Uriel.

Sam put a restraining hand on her shoulder. "We just got back from Pamela's funeral," he said calmly.

Dean was glaring at the angels. "Pamela. You know, psychic Pamela? You remember her. Cas, you remember her. You burned her eyes out. Remember that? Good times. Yeah, then she died saving one of your precious seals. So maybe you can stop pushing us around like chess pieces for five freaking minutes!"

"We raised you out of hell for _our_ purposes." Uriel said softly, looking at Dean.

"Yeah, what were those again? What exactly did you want from me?"

"Start with gratitude," the angel snarled.

Piper was furious. "Oh, screw you." Dean stepped in front of her, blocking her from the other angel's view. She went up on tiptoe and tried to look at Castiel again. _Why won't he look at me?_

Castiel looked at Dean instead. "We know this is difficult to understand."

Uriel glared at the taller angel. "And we don't care. Now, seven angels have been murdered, all of them from our garrison. The last one was killed tonight."

Piper frowned. "Demons? How are they killing angels?"

"We don't know."

Sam shook his head and came to stand next to Dean, effectively blocking Piper. "I'm sorry, but what do you want us to do about it? I mean, a demon with the juice to ice angels has to be out of our league, right?"

Uriel rolled his eyes. "We can handle the demons, thank you very much."

"Once we find whoever it is," Castiel finished. Piper felt ice start to form at the base of her spine.

Dean scoffed. "So you need our help hunting a demon?"

Castiel shook his head. "Not quite. We have Alastair. But he won't talk. Alastair's will is very strong. We've arrived at an impasse."

Dean ran a hand through his hair. Piper put her hand on his lower back. "Yeah, well, he's like a black belt in torture. I mean, you guys are out of your league."

There was cold glee in Uriel's eyes when he looked at Dean again. "That's why we've come to his student. You happen to be the most qualified interrogator we've got."

Piper gasped and pushed the brothers out of her way. _"Excuse me?_ Absolutely not. Cas, what the hell?" The angel met her eyes, and she thought she saw misery there before his face became impassive again.

"Dean, you are our best hope," Castiel said to Dean.

Dean was shaking his head. "No. No way. You can't ask me to do this, Cas. Not this."

"Castiel," Piper started, "Please, you can't-"

She was interrupted by Sam grabbing her arm and pulling her behind him as Uriel stalked up to Dean.

"Who said anything about asking?"

Castiel, Uriel, and Dean disappeared.

 **xxxxx**

 _Castiel, answer me damn you!_

Piper had been praying to Castiel since they left, calling him names, begging him to bring Dean back, asking him how he could do this. He wasn't answering, but she hadn't expected him to. _Bastard._

Sam had summoned Ruby. Piper didn't like the bitch, but if it would get Dean back before they made him do this, she was on board.

"I can still smell them." The demon was bitching. "Seriously, Sam, I'm not exactly dying to tangle with angels again."

"Just shut up and do what you're told," Piper snapped.

"I need you to find out where they took Dean." Sam shot Piper a look, which she shot back.

Ruby shrugged. "Not sure I see the problem. You know they have Alastair strung up six ways from Sunday. Dean cuts himself a slice, Al's reduced to a quivering heap, and the good guys get the goods. What's wrong with that?"

"How dare you-" Piper started before Sam put a hand up to interrupt her.

"He can't do it." Sam stated simply.

"Look, I get it. You don't want him going all torture master again."

"No. I mean, he can't do it. He can't get the job done. Something happened to him downstairs, Ruby. He's not what he used to be. He's not strong enough."

Piper looked at Sam incredulously. "Sam…" She was shocked. How could he not see clearly what Dean was? How could he think Dean was less than he was before hell?

Ruby ignored her. "And you are?"

"I will be."

 **xxxxx**

Something had gone wrong when they got there. Alastair was free, standing over a prone Dean. He had Castiel against the wall, hand around the angel's throat. "Like roaches, you celestials. Now, I really wish I knew how to kill you. But all I can do is send you back to heaven."

He began to chant in Latin. Piper followed Sam into the room, waiting until he had raised his hand. Alastair choked and flew against the wall next to Castiel.

"Stupid pet tricks," Alastair snarled. Piper felt the demon's eyes on her as she ran to Dean, rolling him onto his back and putting her hands on his face.

"Dean," she whispered, "Dean, baby, come on."

Sam ignored them. "Who's murdering the angels? How are they doing it?"

Alastair chuckled. "You think I'm gonna tell you?"

"Yeah, I do."

Piper ignored Alastair's sudden choking, still trying to revive Dean. "Come on, baby, wake up for me. Oh, please, Dean, come on, baby-"

"How are the demons killing angels?" Sam shouted.

"I don't know." Alastair gasped out.

Sam wasn't convinced, apparently. "Right."

"It's not us. We're not doing it."

"I don't believe you."

Alastair was smirking again. "Lilith is not behind this. She wouldn't kill seven angels. Oh, she'd kill a hundred, a thousand. Oh, go ahead, send me back, if you can."

Piper looked up at Sam, and was stricken speechless again at the difference in her friend and the man standing there. "I'm stronger than that now. Now I can kill."

Alastair started screaming. Light flashed from him, and his meatsuit fell.

"Sam," Piper said quietly, terrified. "Dean needs a hospital."

 **xxxxx**

Piper was pacing outside of Dean's room, praying constantly. _I swear to Christ, wings, if you don't get your ass down here, I will-_

The sound of feathers interrupted her. She whirled to see Castiel standing in the hall behind her. "Piper, I-"

"Heal him, Castiel." She said coldly. "Fix him now. This is _your_ fault. Fix it."

"I can't."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Excuse me? Can't, or won't?"

Sam had come out of the room to see what had happened. "Castiel? Are you here to heal Dean?"

"I can't."

Sam stepped toward Castiel, growling. "You and Uriel put him in there because you can't keep a simple devil's trap together." Piper nodded.

Castiel looked distressed. "I don't know what happened. That trap… It shouldn't have broken. I am sorry."

"Sorry? You're _sorry?"_ Piper asked, incredulously, advancing toward the angel. "Are you kidding me, Castiel? You're _sorry?_ Sorry doesn't even begin to cover what just happened."

"This whole thing was pointless." Sam was just as taken aback as she was. "You understand that? The demons aren't doing the hits. Something else is killing your soldiers."

Castiel started to look desperate. "Perhaps Alastair was lying."

Sam shook his head. "No, he wasn't." He turned and walked away.

Castiel looked at Piper, and she felt no sympathy for him. Instead, she closed the distance between them and looked up at him, their noses almost touching.

"You listen to me, Castiel, Angel of the Lord. I don't know what you want with Dean Winchester, but I know it's something. And let me tell you right now, listen closely, because I _mean_ this." He looked at her miserably, and she tried to let her rage show in her eyes. "Whatever you ask of him, whatever you want from him, _you won't get it._ I will do everything in my power to get him to resist you, forever. And when you're trying to get us to submit, when you're desperate for his help, you remember that it is because of _this,_ because of _this moment,_ that he will be saying no."

She turned and walked back into Dean's room, shutting the door firmly behind her.

 **xxxxx**

She was sitting next to Dean, her hand wrapped around his. He had asked her to leave when Castiel had appeared in his room, and she had acquiesced quietly. She had had enough of the angel, anyway, and had ignored the puppy dog look in his eyes when she'd left.

She had reentered the room as soon as she'd seen the angel disappear. Dean hadn't said a word to her, just let her hold his hand. She kept her eyes on their hands, giving him the privacy he needed to cry.

He wiped his face with his other hand, and gave hers a gentle squeeze. "Sorry, Pipes."

She looked up at his red eyes and tilted her head. "Hush, Dean. No apologies from you."

He was quiet again, looking up at the ceiling. She kept her hand in his and let him think.

She felt her eyes starting to get heavy when he spoke again. "And it is written that the first seal shall be broken when a righteous man sheds blood in hell. As he breaks, so shall it break."

She looked up at him, examining his beaten, upturned face. "What?"

"I broke the first seal, kitten. I broke the first seal of the apocalypse." A tear slid down his cheek.

"What?" Piper asked, horrified. "Why didn't the angels pull you out faster?"

"They tried, apparently. They, uh, 'laid siege to hell' But they didn't get there in time."

"I don't understand, Dean," she said softly. "How do you know this?"

"Alastair." His voice rang with anger and despair.

"Could he have been lying?"

"No."

She didn't know what to say to help him. So, taking a page from his book, she stood and gingerly started moving the tubes and wires connected to him. When she made enough room, she moved his arm so she could lay next to him on the hospital bed, and wrapped his arm around to rest on her hip. He didn't move, so it was a tight squeeze, but she didn't give up. She lay her head on his chest and stayed there.

Slowly, he moved his arm to hold her tighter against him. "Alastair, he, uh… He had my dad. When he was in hell. He had him there for a year. A century in hell." He let the silence draw out. She almost said something when he spoke again. "He never broke. He never tortured anyone."

She thought for a moment. "So they took you instead."

His chest heaved. "And they broke me in less than half that time."

"Well, John wasn't righteous, so they were barking up the wrong tree there."

He shifted to look down at her, the first time he'd looked at her since the angel had left. "What?"

She smiled sadly, thinking of the man who changed her life. "He was… Revenge driven. He was mad with it. He hunted, sure, and he instilled a code in you boys, but he was so intent on killing Azazel for what he did to Mary. He wasn't righteous, Dean. He was bent on vengeance."

He looked at her for a long time, then put his other hand on her face, gently running his thumb against her cheek. "What makes me righteous?" He asked softly, his voice raw with emotion.

She thought for a long time, trying to put together the words. "Dean, everything I have ever known about you is good. I have watched you sacrifice everything to save other people. You have given everything you have, up to and including your life, to keep people safe. You are a righteous man, Dean, because the only thing you've ever gotten in return is a life lived in motel rooms, having to steal for a living, and crappy diner food. You hunt to save people, because it's the right thing to do, not because it's easy. You loved your father, and you love your brother." Tears were swimming in her eyes, and she felt them spill over. "Dean Winchester, I know that you are a righteous man because you love me, and I have never loved anything like I love you. And those are the things that tell me you're a righteous man." She sniffed and wiped her eyes, suddenly shy after her little speech.

He put a finger under her chin and made her look at him. "Not everything," he said roughly.

Her forehead crinkled. "Not everything what?"

He examined her closely. She felt his gaze down to her soul. "I haven't given up everything." He ran his thumb along her lower lip. "I haven't you up."

She breathed in shakily. "And you'll never have to."

 **xxxxx**

 **A/N: Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural, or the characters (heartbroken).**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**

 ****Another long chapter! We're in for a few long chapters, beautiful readers. The next few episodes are ones that I really want to dig into.**


	38. I Know Who I Am

Dean Smith entered the elevator, mind already on what he had to do that day. He was looking to impress the boss, and wanted to get the day started early.

He felt his heartbeat speed up when he saw his secretary, the lovely Piper Tate, was already in the elevator. She had a short, pretty dress on, low-cut enough to be enticing, but not so much so that he didn't have to use his imagination a little. She had a coffee in her hand, and she was looking down at a file with a frown on her face.

He took the opportunity to study her, the way her auburn hair spilled over her shoulder, or the way she bit her lip in concentration. The woman was driving him to distraction.

 _Good Lord._

He plastered a smile on his face. "Ms. Tate, already hard at it?"

She looked up and smiled. "Mr. Smith! Of course."

He stood next to her and smiled again, more genuinely this time. "How many times do I need to ask you to call me Dean?"

She smirked at him over her coffee cup. "Until it's not inappropriate, _Mr. Smith."_

The elevator dinged and they stepped out together, walking toward the office they shared.

 **xxxxx**

Dean pushed the button on his phone to hang up the call, satisfied that the other man had gotten the point. He didn't have anything else to demand his immediate attention, so he let his eyes wander to Piper.

She was standing in front of her desk, looking at a file laid open there, and then looking back to the paper in her hand.

She was standing in front of the wide filing cabinet in the corner of their office, pulling files out at what looked to him like random. She was brilliant, and he had made the decision to stay out of her way fairly quickly. She had only been there as long as he had, hired on the same day, but already he wasn't sure how he'd gotten along without her. She was efficient and kind of scary, and even though he was used to being in charge, he didn't mind her running his schedule.

He took the headset off and stood quietly. He noticed her breath hitch and her back tense, but she didn't move. He walked over to her slowly, letting the tension build.

When he got to her, he pressed his groin against her behind and moved his hands to her hips. He dipped his head to lay kisses on her neck. "Piper…"

Her head dropped back onto his shoulder. "Dean…"

He grinned against her neck, spinning her in his arms so he could push her up against the filing cabinet and push one of his knees between hers. He pressed his lips to hers, savoring the whimpers coming from her. "Jeeze, Piper," he moaned into her mouth.

"Desk," she said breathlessly. He drew in a sharp breath as she pulled his shirt out of his pants, running her nails up his chest. "Dean, God, please."

He didn't have to be told twice. He placed his hands on her ass, grinning into her mouth when she lifted her legs and wrapped them around his waist. He walked then over to his desk, laying her down slowly, not bothering to move the paperwork there out of the way.

She was working his belt off, her movements quick and efficient. He stepped closer and ran his hands up her thighs, his heart stuttering to a stop when he realized she wasn't wearing underwear. _"God,_ Piper-"

His breath caught again when she freed him, palming his cock. She looked up at him, her bottom lip caught between her teeth, her hazel eyes dark. He watched her closely, relishing the gasp she gave when he slowly pushed one thick finger into her.

"Tell me what you want, Piper," he said roughly, fighting the urge to buck into her hands when she wrapped one around his cock and stroked gently.

" _Dean…"_

The hot need in her voice made his head spin. "Tell me, Piper," he growled, warning her.

She gasped and let her eyes drift up to his. "You."

He moved his hand away, lined himself up with her, and slammed into her. She gasped and he stopped, fighting himself to give her time to adjust to him. When she squeezed him gently with her inner muscles, he groaned and started moving. He put his hands on her hips, holding her in place hard as he thrust into her. She sat up enough to lay kisses along his neck and shoulder, whimpering and digging her nails into his back. "Oh, Dean, _yes!"_

She cried out as her orgasm tore through her, and he was right behind her, burying himself in her as he came.

Piper sat up and wrapped her arms around his waist, and he rested his head on her shoulder, listening to their combined breathing slow down.

She leaned back and grinned at him. "Hi, handsome."

He smirked and kissed her forehead. "Hi, beautiful."

She twisted to look behind her at the papers he hadn't moved. "I think the Shrill account is going to need to be redone."

 **xxxxx**

That evening, long after they _should_ have gone home, Dean led Piper to the elevator with a hand on the small of her back.

He appreciated that she never complained about the long hours. He'd never synced with someone so well. She brewed coffee before he realized he wanted it, she knew which accounts needed his attention before he did. Piper was amazing.

He knew he should be worried about how comfortable he was with her. He had been single for a reason. But the day he'd come in for his first day, he'd let slip that he hadn't moved into his new apartment yet, so she had invited him back to hers for dinner.

They hadn't been alone for two minutes before he'd had her pushed up against the wall, moving his hands to the back of her thighs as she lifted them to wrap around his waist. The following three weeks had progressed quickly. He still hadn't unpacked any boxes, outside of his clothes. He had spent all of his time with her, at her place.

He was broken away from his thoughts when they were joined by a tall man with one of the yellow IT shirts on. Piper smiled warmly at the man and stepped away from Dean subtly. "Hi, Sam."

"Hi. Isn't it kind of late for you guys to be getting out?" Sam asked, his eyes flicking between them.

Dean watched her give Sam a sunny smile. "Burning the midnight oil, trying to impress the boss, you know."

Sam looked at Dean, who felt uncomfortable under the taller man's scrutiny. "Do I know you?" Sam asked.

Dean shook his head, grateful that the elevator was almost to the lobby. "I don't think so."

"I'm sorry, man, you just look really familiar."

Dean put a hand on Piper's back to guide her out when the doors opened. "Save it for the health club, buddy."

As they walked to their cars, he asked, "How do you know him?"

She shrugged. "He seemed nice, so we talked a few days ago. He's weird, but I like him."

 **xxxxx**

The next day, Dean entered the elevator, intending to get something to eat for he and Piper. He was wavering on his diet, he knew he needed it, but honestly, the woman was ruining his life.

He was internally smiling at the thought of all of the physical activity he'd been putting in with her when the door dinged and the tall guy Sam entered again. Dean ignored him, but he felt the man's eyes boring holes in the side of his head. _What's his problem?_

At the next floor, everyone but the two of them got out.

"Can I ask you a question?" Sam asked.

Dean winced. "Look, man, I told you, I'm not into the, uh-"

Sam held his hands up. "Oh dude, come on, I'm not either. I just wanna ask you one question."

There was no escape, so Dean sighed. "Sure."

"What do you think about ghosts?"

Dean blinked. That was not what he'd thought was about to happen. "Ghosts?"

"Do you believe in them?"

Dean chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, tell you the truth, I've never given it much thought."

"Vampires?"

Dean frowned. "What? Why?"

"Because I've been having some weird dreams lately. You know what I mean?"

"No. Not really."

"So you've never had any… Weird dreams?"

Dean was done. "All right, look, man, I don't know you, okay? But I'm gonna do a public service and, uh, let you know that, that you overshare."

He walked out of the elevator when it dinged, lunch forgotten.

 **xxxxx**

Dean was watching Piper bend over her desk to get a highlighter from her pen cup, giving him an excellent view down her shirt. She caught him looking and cocked an eyebrow at him. "Eyes on the screen, Mr. Smith."

He blinked and looked back at his computer. "So, I've been thinking about the guy who committed suicide in the breakroom."

She shuddered as she sat back down. "That was awful. Why are you thinking about it?"

He shrugged, closing the browser window that showed the employee's records. "He was two weeks away from retirement."

She tilted her head. "Why would someone kill himself two weeks before retiring?"

Dean sat forward, putting his elbows on his desk. "That's what I've been wondering, too." He wanted to continue, but his computer beeped, alerting him to an email.

He clicked it open, scanning it quickly. "Can you get Ian from IT up here, Ms. Tate?"

A few minutes later, there was a knock at the open door. A nervous looking man stood there.

Piper smiled warmly. "Ian? Hi, come in."

Dean nodded. "Yeah, come on in. Yesterday you filled out a 445-T and no problem, just a few errors when we did your switch over to Vista. So I'm sure you're used to filling out the dash-R's, am I right?" Dean chuckled.

Ian paled. "Oh, no."

Dean held his hands up. "No, no, no. It's fine. It's fine. I just need you to redo one today so I can get the show on the road with the invoicing." He took the new form and slid it across his desk, smiling at the man.

Ian was not comforted. "Oh my God."

Dean frowned. "No, it's fine. Just refile it and we're square."

"I can't believe I did this."

Dean met Piper's eyes, concerned. She stood and walked to Ian slowly, holding her hands out. "Hey, Ian, it's okay. It was an easy mistake. Hell, I did it just today."

Ian started to hyperventilate. "No, no. It affected profits. It… I screwed up. I, I can't, I can't, I am so sorry. I, how could I do that? I failed Sandover. I failed the company."

Dean stood, too. "All right, why don't you sit down, Ian?"

Instead, Ian ran out of the room. Dean held his hand up to Piper. "Stay here."

He ran out of the room after Ian. "Ian? Ian. Hey."

The other man ran into the bathroom, and Dean followed. "Ian, hey. Just chill out, man. Okay?"

Ian was staring into the mirror. A chill ran up Dean's bones, and he could see his breath. All of the faucets and soap dispensers turned on. Dean jumped, but Ian didn't react at all.

"Ian, hey, maybe we should get out of here, huh? Come on. Ian. Look at me."

Ian did, pulling a pencil out of his pocket. He stated at Dean for a beat, then drove the pencil into his own neck. Dean looked in in horror for a moment before rushing toward the bleeding man. Dean looked up and caught a glimpse of an old man standing behind them. When he turned no one was there.

Dean turned back to Ian. "Somebody help me!"

 **xxxxx**

Dean, Sam, and Piper had convened at her apartment's parking lot after the men's run-in with the ghost. Dean had demanded she stay behind while they investigated, and she had given in, which she regretted. The next time he tried to boss her around, she'd show him a thing or two.

"Come on, gentleman, let's go research ghosts," she said cheerfully, leading them into her building.

Dean placed a hand on the small of her back as she unlocked the door, and she reveled in the comfort it gave her. She knew she would normally be freaking out if she was essentially living with a man three weeks after meeting him, but it seemed perfectly normal with Dean. She hadn't worried when he'd brought a toothbrush and clothes over, she hadn't worried when she'd bought his favorite brand of coffee without thinking, and she wasn't worried now.

They filed into her apartment, Sam making sure the door was shut and locked. The men were still talking about the ghost they'd encountered.

"Holy crap, dude." Dean said, plopping down next to Piper on her couch.

Sam nodded. "Yeah, I could use a beer."

"In the fridge, Sam," Piper said, resisting the urge to lean into Dean.

When Sam glanced at Dean, he shook his head. "No, man, I'm on the Cleanse."

Piper and pulled her laptop from the coffee table to her lap, flipping it open and starting to search.

Sam came back and joined them in a chair next to the couch. "Hey, how the hell did you know that ghosts are scared of wrenches?"

Dean shrugged. "Crazy, right? And nice job kicking that door, too. Very Jet Li. What are you, like a black belt or something?"

Sam shook his head. "No. I have no clue how I did that. It's like… We've done this before."

"What do you mean, before? Like Shirley MacLaine before?"

"No. I, I just can't shake this feeling like I, like I don't belong here, you know? Like I should do something more than sit in a cubicle."

"I think most people who work in a cubicle feel that way," Piper muttered, not looking up from her screen.

San huffed. "No. Well, look, it's more than that. Like, I don't like my job. I don't like this town. I don't like my clothes. I don't like my own last name. I don't know how else to explain it, except that… It feels like I should be doing something else. There's just something in my blood. Like I was destined for something different." He looked between Dean and Piper. "What about you guys? You ever feel that way?"

Dean opened his mouth, but Piper put a hand on his arm. "Yes," she said simply. "For the last few weeks, ever since I moved here, the only things that haven't felt that way are you guys."

Dean scoffed. "I don't believe in destiny. I do believe in dealing with what's right in front of us, though."

Piper held up her laptop. "Well, I think I found a way to do that. These guys hunt ghosts for a living, and they have some, like, how-to videos."

GHOSTFACERS flashed across the screen, and the three of them settled in to research.

 **xxxxx**

"Well, we killed it." Piper thought carefully. "Can you kill a ghost? Or do you just… Get rid of it?"

Dean ignored her to pull out the first aid kit from the bathroom. He pulled out three gauze pads and handed one to Sam. He approached Piper and put one against her cheek, where it had been split open.

"Man, I gotta tell you. I've never had so much fun in my life," Dean said cheerfully. Piper took the clean gauze out of his hand and pressed it to his head, smiling up at him.

"We should keep doing this." Sam said, examining the two of them. Piper noticed the way he was watching, but ignored it. After you kill a ghost, who cares who knows you're sleeping with the boss?

Dean grinned. "I know." He smiled when Piper stepped closer to him. _Good grief, those eyes will be the death of me,_ she thought wryly.

"I mean it. There's gotta be other ghosts out there. We could help a lot of people."

Piper turned to look at Sam. "What? Quit our jobs and go?" She asked.

It didn't seem like that bad an idea to Piper. She wasn't close with anyone in town except Dean, and if they could help people…

But Dean was already scoffing. "You gotta be kidding me. How would we get by? Stolen credit cards? Huh? Eating diner food drenched in saturated fats? Sharing a crap motel room every night?"

Piper winced as, in his agitation, he pressed harder on his cheek. "Ow," she said mildly.

He looked down and winced. "Sorry, Pipes." The nickname warmed her insides.

"That's all just details," Sam was saying.

"Details are everything," Dean snapped. "You don't wanna go fighting ghosts without any health insurance."

Sam looked sheepish. "All right, um, confession."

"What?" Dean snapped again. Piper put her hand on his arm and squeezed.

"Remember those dreams I told you about, with the ghosts?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, I was… Fighting them. With you guys. Both of you. We were like, these hunters, and we were friends. Well," he looked at Dean. "We were more like brothers. And you guys were together. I mean, what if that's who we really are? I mean, you saw us back there, working together. The ghost was scrambling people's brains. What if it scrambled ours?"

Dean was shaking his head. "That's insane."

Piper looked up at him. "Is it? I mean… If you think about it, does this all really feel like our lives?"

He gazed down at her. "You feel like my life."

She smiled up at him, her heart fluttering. "Yeah, you, too."

"Look," Sam said, interrupting. "All I know is this isn't who we're supposed to be."

Dean shook his head and wrapped an arm around Piper's waist. "No. I'm Dean Smith, Director of Sales and Marketing. I went to Stanford. My father's name is Bob, My mother's name is Ellen, and my sister's name is Jo. And this is Piper, my secretary and girlfriend." Piper's heart stuttered at the title on his lips. _Not now, Tate, keep it together._

"And when was the last time you talked to them? Any of them? Besides Piper? Because I only moved here because I broke up with my fiancé, Madison. But when I called her number I got a damn animal hospital."

"Okay, what are you saying? Are you trying to say that my family isn't real? Huh? That we've been injected with fake memories? Come on," he scoffed.

Sam stood, getting angry. "All I know is, I got this feeling in my gut. And I know, I know that deep down, you guys gotta be feeling it, too. We're supposed to be something else. You're not just some corporate douchebag, and you're not just some hot secretary. This isn't you. I know you."

Dean's face had been irritated before, but as soon as Sam mentioned Piper, she felt Dean's arm tense and his body change stance. "Know me? You don't know me, pal. You should go."

 **xxxxx**

Later, Dean and Piper were sprawled against each other on her couch, sweat slowly starting to dry. There was a butterfly bandage on her cheek, and it somehow made her look more vulnerable and tougher at the same time. Dean pulled her up so she was resting on his chest, his arms wrapped around her waist.

She smiled down at him. "Everything okay, Mr. Smith?"

He nodded. "Yes ma'am, Ms. Tate. Just thinking about that jackass."

She laughed softly. "Dean, do we have to talk about Sam in bed?"

He grinned. "We're not in bed, Pipes."

She smacked him on the chest. "You know what I mean, Dean." She smiled down at him before sobering. "Don't you think you were a little hard on him?"

"No, Piper, he's crazy. Look, I'm willing to accept ghosts, but I know who I am. I'm Dean Smith. You're Piper Tate. He's Sam whatever. This isn't some sort of conspiracy theory, Pipes, it's our lives."

"Okay, okay, but you don't think this is weird?" she gestured between the two of them. "Dean, I have never in my life basically let a man move into my apartment in three weeks. I've never felt this way this fast about someone." She bit her lip, looking at him nervously. "That doesn't scare you?"

He looked at her closely, her high cheekbones, her auburn air, her wide hazel eyes. He put a hand on her face and pulled her close, kissing her thoroughly. When the pulled back, he met her eyes again. "No, you don't scare me, Piper. This feels right."

She nodded. "I know, right? But, everything else is-"

He was suddenly overwhelmed by her. She was lovely, kind, smart, and everything he'd ever wanted. "I think I'm falling in love with you," he said in a rush, watching her face for her reaction.

Her eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open a little. He took the opportunity to run a thumb across her lip, still trying to gauge how she was feeling. The silence stretched out, and he was almost ready to take it back when she spoke.

"I'm falling in love with you, too," she said softly, eyes sparkling and lips curving up into a smile.

He pulled her down to him to capture that smile with his mouth, thoughts of Sam and ghosts and different lives taking a backseat to the heat of her pressed against him.

 **xxxxx**

The next day, Dean was working with half of his mind, and watching Piper with the other half, when his boss, Adler, came in.

Adler knocked on the open door. "Got a minute?"

Dean blinked. "Sure, of course."

Adler looked at Piper. "Can we have a minute, dear?"

Piper smiled politely, but Dean saw the tightness in her face. "Of course, Mr. Adler, Mr. Smith." She left quietly, shutting the door behind her.

Adler turned to Dean. "How are you feeling, Dean?"

"Uh, great."

Adler examined him. "You look a little tired. Been working hard, I gather, you and Mrs. Tate."

"Ms." Dean corrected without thinking.

"Excuse me?"

"She's, uh, she's not married. And yeah, I guess we've been working a lot."

"Ah, don't be modest. I hear everything. And I'm pleased with what I'm hearing." He sat down in the chair in front of Dean's desk. "That's why it's important to me that you're happy." He took out a pen, took a sticky note off of Dean's desk, and wrote down a number. He handed it to Dean. "How's that for a bonus?"

Dean looked at the sticky note and his mind went blank. "That's, uh, that's very generous."

Adler waved his hand. "Purely selfish. Wanna make sure you're not going anywhere."

"Wow. Are you sure?"

"Positive. You are Sandover material, son. Real go-getter, carving your own way. I see big things in your future. Maybe even senior VP, Eastern Great Lakes Division. Don't get me wrong, you'll have to work for it. Seven days a week, lunch at your desk, bribing your secretary to stay with you. But in eight to ten short years, that could be you."

Dean examined the man in front of him, considering his options. This is what he'd wanted when he got here. He'd wanted to prove himself, that he could do this, he could make something of himself. But Sam's words were ringing in his heads, along with Piper's. There were ghosts out there… Unnatural beings that were hurting people. Suddenly, everything else seemed a little unimportant.

"Uh, well, thank you. Thank you, sir. It's, um… But…" He slid the paper back to Adler. "I'm giving my notice. And, uh, Ms. Tate will give hers, too, when she gets back." Dean didn't know how he knew that Piper would come with him, but there wasn't a doubt in his mind.

"This is a joke. You're kidding me, right?"

"No. I've, uh, we've, recently realized that there's something else we have to do. It's very important."

"Other work? Another company?"

"No, I, it's hard to explain. It's just that this, this is…. It's just… It's not who I'm supposed to be. Who we're supposed to be."

Adler grinned. "Dean, Dean, Dean. Finally."

He stood and pressed two fingers to Dean's forehead.

Dean Winchester blinked and looked around. "What the hell?" He looked down. "Why am I wearing a tie? God, I'm starving. Where's Piper?"

Adler laughed. "Welcome back."

Dean glared, his mind working. "Did I, did I just get touched by… You're an angel, aren't you?"

The man bowed. "I'm Zachariah."

"Oh, great. That's all I need is another one of you guys. Where the hell is Piper?"

The angel ignored his question. "I'm hardly another one, Dean, I'm Castiel's superior. Believe me, I had no interest in popping down here, but after the unfortunate situation with Uriel, I felt it necessary to pay a visit. Get my ducks in a row."

"We are not ducks."

"Starting with your attitude," Zachariah said, pointing at Dean.

Dean threw his hands in the air. "Oh, so, what? This was all some sort of a lesson? Is that what you're telling me? Wow. Very creative. So am I just hallucinating all this?"

"Not at all. Real place, real haunting. Just plunked you in the middle without the benefit of your memories."

Fury was starting to fizz under the surface. "Just to shake things up? Hm? So you guys can have fun watching us run around like ass clowns in monkey suits?"

"To prove to you that the path you're on is truly in your blood. You're a hunter. Not because your dad made you, not because God called you back from hell, but because it is what you are. And you love it. You'll find your way to it in the dark every single time, and you're miserable without it. Dean, let's be real here. You're good at this. You'll be successful. You will stop it."

Dean glared at the angel. "Stop what? The apocalypse? Lucifer? What? Be specific, man."

"You'll do everything you're destined to do. All of it." The angel held his hand sup. "But I know, I know. You're not strong enough. You're scared. You got daddy issues. You can't do it, right?"

Dean clenched his fist. "Angel or not, I will stab you in the face."

Zachariah held his hands up again. "All I'm saying is it's how you look at it. Most folks live and die without moving anything more than the dirt it takes to bury them. You get to change things."

Dean turned away, fighting to control himself. He didn't want to change things. He wanted to be normal, with Piper, and Sam, and Bobby.

As if reading his mind, Zachariah continued. "Save people, maybe even the world. All the while, you drive a classic car and fornicate with that woman. This isn't a curse, it's a gift. So for God's sake, Dean, quit whining about it. Look around, there are plenty of fates worse than yours. So are you with me? You wanna go steam yourself another latte? Or are you ready to stand up and be who you really are?"

 **xxxxx**

 **A/N: Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural, or the characters (heartbroken).**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	39. You Don't Know the Half of It

"Oh, God, Dean!" Piper cried out, twisting the sheets in her hands.

His big hands gripped her hips from behind her, pulling her back onto him. He gave a strained chuckle, trying to control himself. "Hush, kitten, you're going to get us in trouble." She groaned and buried her face into a pillow, unable to stop screaming.

He leaned over her, slowing his pace enough to make her whine. He laid sloppy, open-mouthed kisses across her back. "You sound like you want to get caught, kitten." He bit her hard enough to make her squeal, immediately soothing it with his tongue.

"Oh, Dean, oh-"

He slowly ran a hand up her side, until he was gently wrapping a hand around her throat. He used gentle pressure to pull her upright in front of him, relishing the power she gave him in bed. She was so independent all the time, but relinquished control to him when they were naked.

He breathed heavily into her ear, keeping his cock moving in and out of her at a steady, slow pace. He moved a hand up her ribs until he was cupping her breast, thumbing her nipple. _"Do_ you want to get caught, Piper?" She whimpered, but didn't answer.

He pinched her nipple between thumb and forefinger hard enough to make her cry out again. "Piper," he murmured into her ear, dropping the pitch of his voice, "Do you want to get caught?" He gradually sped up his pace, adjusting his angle until he was hitting the spot that usually made her scream.

She was gasping, trying to keep it quiet. _"No_ , Dean, God-"

He interrupted her by subtly tightening the hand on her throat. "See, I don't know, kitten," he moved his other hand down slowly to her center, letting his fingers gently caress her clit. "You keep making these pretty little noises when I mention someone coming in here…"

As if in response, she whimpered loudly. "Does that turn you on, kitten?" He whispered roughly, mouth pressed to her ear. "The thought of someone walking in on us?" Another whimper. "Someone seeing me fucking you senseless, and seeing how much you love it?"

"Oh, God, _Dean!"_

He covered her mouth in time to smother her scream as she orgasmed, giving a rather loud moan himself as he came hard inside her.

He rested his head on her shoulder, moving so hers could fall back onto his. He listened to the sounds of their breath slowing, savoring it. It was one of his favorite things to listen to.

When they had calmed down, and he could feel the sweat cooling on his back, he slowly moved away from her, stood next to the bed, and then scooped her up against his chest. She laughed softly, the sound of it making his heart beat faster again.

"Grab that blanket, kitten." He bent his knees so she could do as he said. She swung it around his shoulders, concealing the parts of them that needed to be concealed.

Her sleepy, sated eyes gaze up at him. "Where are we going?"

He lifted her enough to press a kiss to her forehead. "Cleanup, baby."

 **xxxxx**

They were back in bed, facing each other. He examined her face, which he had done a hundred times before. Her eyes, her nose, her high cheekbones. He felt his lips twitch upward as he observed the blush rising up her cheeks. He cocked an eyebrow at her. "So… Voyeurism, huh?"

He laughed when she smacked him on the chest. "Shut up, Winchester."

He chuckled and pulled her close to kiss her. "Kind of kinky, kitten."

He felt her smile against his mouth. "You don't know the half of it, Winchester."

He pulled her even closer, bringing her belly flush with his. "Is that so?"

She flung an arm around his waist and cuddled close. "Mhm," she mumbled into his chest. "But you're not finding out tonight, I'm tired."

He rolled them so she rested on his chest, her head nestled underneath his chin. "Whatever you say, kitten."

 **xxxxx**

Dean ducked as Piper swung at him. That had been close, but he wasn't about to let _her_ know that. "Come on, baby, gotta be faster than that."

She glared at him, clearly struggling to keep the smile off of her face. "Shut it, Winchester, hands up."

They were sparring in the backyard, at Piper's insistence that the activity would help blow off some steam. Dean didn't know if it was having the desired effect, but he was having a lot of fun watching her move in her leggings and tight tank top.

He was lost in his thoughts, so he didn't see her tense in time. Dean resigned himself to watching her sweep his legs out from under him, unable to help his grunt as he hit the ground and she crowed in triumph. "Ha! Take that!"

She was laughing with her head thrown back, and he used his natural speed to take advantage. He got up and tackled her midsection, quickly turning so she landed on him when they hit the ground. As soon as they were down, he rolled again, pinning her beneath him and nuzzling underneath her jaw. "You were saying?"

"No!" She was laughing and pushing at his chest. "No using sex to distract me, Dean!"

"One good reason," he demanded, laying kisses down her neck. He smiled against her skin when she arched herself slightly, giving him more of her skin to caress.

"Because, Dean, we need to focus-"

"I am focused," he murmured against her warmth.

She gave a low, throaty laugh that made something low in him tighten in response. _Over a year later, she's still got me acting like a damn teenager._

The thought struck him. _Over a year._ They'd been together for longer than he'd ever imagined being with anything, much less a woman who loved him.

Piper was still talking, having not noticed that he wasn't paying attention. "Because, Dean, we need to stay focused. Just because we're having some R&R-"

He interrupted her with his mouth on hers. Her resistance crumbled immediately, and she molded herself to him. He swallowed her soft whimpers, angling himself against her to kiss her deeper.

A cough behind them startled Piper, and she broke away from him. Undeterred, Dean went back to kissing her neck. "Oh, um, hi, Sam!" Dean ignored his little brother and his woman to continue his ministrations.

"Hey, guys. Gross. I think I found a case. I think it's a vengeful spirit-"

"We're not going, Sammy," Dean said firmly, lifting his head to meet Piper's surprised face. "Pipes and I have things to discuss here, and we all deserve a break."

Dean heard the frown in Sam's voice, but his eyes never left Piper. "Dean, you wanting to hump each other isn't a good reason to ignore a case."

"Hey," Dean snapped, finally turning to glare at his brother. "Show some respect, Sam. I don't care how mad you are at me, don't take it out on her."

"Dean." He turned back down to look at Piper. "It's okay, come on."

"Guys," Sam snapped, "we can't just ignore the case."

Dean was starting to get angry, "God dammit, Sammy-"

"Stop it," Piper said evenly. "Both of you." She put a hand on Dean's face. "Let me up, handsome."

He stood and helped her to her feet, but didn't let her step away from him. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he pulled her back against him, his chest pressing against her back.

She looked up at Sam. "I won't ignore a case, Sam, _obviously._ I'll get someone on it. But Dean is right, we need a break. We're need some time to… Absorb the last two weeks. We're not gonna make it running on fumes like this. Something's gotta give."

Sam glared at her. "Are you kidding me, Piper? We can't just stop looking-"

She tilted her head at him. "For what, Sam? We have no leads right now. Let's rest for a few days." She pulled out of Dean's arms, and he let her go, watching her work her magic on Sammy. "Come on, Sam, just a little rest. Two days. Please?"

Dean stifled a smile, picturing Piper's big hazel eyes looking up at Sam. Dean hadn't met a man yet who could resist her, angels included, apparently.

His little brother rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his hair. He glared at Piper, but there was no heat in his gaze. "Fine. Two days."

Dean grinned. "Starting tomorrow."

 **xxxxx**

Later that night, Dean was leaning against the counter in the kitchen, watching Piper make tacos for dinner. Her hair was pulled back and twisted around a pen, and she was wearing an old apron as she flitted around the kitchen. Every time she passed him, she went up and kissed him briefly. He was enjoying being in the way very much.

"Dean, baby, I love you, but you are _right_ in the way."

He grinned. "I know."

She rolled her eyes. "You know, in my mother's kitchen, that behavior would get you hit with a spoon."

Dean tilted his head, watching her as she started chopping a tomato. "You don't talk about your parents much."

She smiled up at him before looking back down at her work. "No, I guess I don't. For a while, it hurt too much. And then, I guess I stopped thinking about them all the time."

"What were they like?" He asked slowly, not wanting to hurt her. But since his revelation that morning, he craved knowledge about her, about the parts of her life he didn't know about.

She smiled. "They were great. My dad did something in finances, I was never sure what he did for a living. He loved me very much in his own way, but he was the kind of man who believed the best way to show his love was by providing for us, so he was at work a lot. We weren't very close."

She had scooped the tomato pieces into a bowl, and had moved on to grating cheese. "My mother, though, we were inseparable. She was this beautiful free spirit. She always wore her hair long, and she used to wear long, flowery dresses. Mom was the kind of person who would let spiders out of the house instead of squish them."

The little sniffle she gave was his only clue that she was upset. Dean put his beer down and came to stand behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "My dad would pretend that it drove him crazy, but he was so in love with her," she continued softly, leaning back into him. "He used to say that he kept her feet on the ground and she kept his head in the clouds."

She sniffled again and looked at Dean. "She would have loved you."

He pressed a kiss to the side of her head. "Yeah?"

She nodded and resumed grating cheese. "Oh, yeah. She used to tell me this story about a princess named Piper, and a tall, dark, handsome knight who would come to save her." Dean squeezed her lightly for a second. "But, in the end, the princess would use her own resourcefulness to save herself. The knight would fall in love with her bravery, and beg her to come away with him and marry him."

She stopped her work and turned to wrap her arms around his waist, looking up at his face. "She would have loved you, loved your courage. She would have loved to hear about us saving each other all the time." She laughed quietly, leaning in to bury her face into his chest. "She told me a handsome man would come to take me to beautiful places, but that I shouldn't go with him. Instead, I should show him the dark, dirty places, full of people in need, and that we would work together to save them."

Dean smiled. "Too late, kitten, I knew about those places."

She smiled up at him, her eyes sparkling with tears. "And you were already saving people when I found you."

He was overwhelmed with emotions again. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, and here she was, pressed against him, in his arms, _his._ He slid a hand up her back to thread his fingers through her hair, pulling her close and kissing her thoroughly. She sighed and leaned into him, opening to him when he ran his tongue along her bottom lip.

"Kids, for God's sake, not in the kitchen." Bobby grumbled from the doorway.

Dean took his time finishing kissing Piper, and he grinned when he looked down at her flushed face and swollen lips. "Let's eat."

 **xxxxx**

The next morning, Piper was standing behind Bobby, who was sitting in a chair in front of her, cutting his hair. It was something she'd started doing for him when she was in high school. It was easy, and it had made her feel like less of a burden.

Even though she didn't feel like a burden anymore, she still cut his hair regularly. "Bobby, sit still."

"Well, hurry up, I can't sit in here all day, gossiping with you."

She scoffed, putting the finishing touches on the back of his neck. "Shut up, Singer, you'd love to sit in here and gossip with me."

He hmphed. "All you'd talk about is Dean, and excuse me if I'm not up for that conversation."

She chuckled. "I would not! There's nothing to talk about."

"Well, it's been a year now."

She paused, a little surprised. "Wow, yeah, I guess it has." She smiled and stepped back. "It feels like longer."

He sighed. "How ya doin', kiddo? That idiot toeing the line?"

She grinned at Bobby getting protective. "If I could go back and tell eighteen year old me that it would be this perfect, I would have jumped his bones at Christmas."

"I did not need to know that," he said stiffly.

Piper laughed. "All right, you're done."

He stood and ran a hand down the back of his neck. "Thanks, kiddo. And I'm glad you're good."

She smiled and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. "Welcome, old man."

Sam walked into the kitchen, eyebrows raising. "What's going on?"

She turned and grinned at him. "You next, Sammy. Let's trim that hair."

His eyes widened and he held his hands up, starting to back away. "Come on, Pipe, no-"

She tilted her head back and laughed. "Sam, I just want to trim your split ends. In the chair, Gigantor." She pointed the scissors she'd picked up threateningly.

Sam sat hesitantly. "Just don't chop it all off."

They both fell silent as she worked, and she started humming again. It took longer than Bobby's, partially because she was taking her time, enjoying being with Sam.

"I missed this," Sam said quietly.

Piper smiled and nodded, even though he couldn't see it. "Me, too."

She let a few more beats of silence pass, finishing up, then, "So, we gonna talk about Ruby? Alastair? 'I'm stronger now?'"

He tensed, and she stopped to place a hand on his shoulder. "Just talk to me, Sam, come on."

She could practically _feel_ the bitchface he pulled. "No, Piper. I'm not talking about it. End of story."

She sighed and put the scissors down. She bent at the waist and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his neck. "I love you, idiot," she whispered in his ear. "I want you to be okay. Let me help."

He put his hands on her arms, sighing. "You can't help, Pipe. No one can."

"Sam, come on, please."

He leaned his head back against her shoulder. "No, Piper."

She frowned. Sam was harder than he used to be. She sensed that she couldn't talk him into talking to her right now. So she went for humor, hoping that she could work on him over time. "You're going down a path I cannot follow."

He laughed out loud. "Did you just Star Wars me?" She laughed with him.

"Sammy, quit macking on my girl." Dean had chosen that moment to walk into the kitchen. "What's going on here?"

Piper turned and smiled at him while Sam scoffed. "Your turn, Winchester, in the chair."

Sam stood and kissed Piper in the forehead, giving her a smile before walking out past his brother.

"My turn for what?" Dean questioned suspiciously, even as he obeyed to sit down in front of her.

She leaned down to kiss his cheek. "Haircut. Getting shaggy, baby."

He turned her head to kiss her. "You like it," he murmured against her lips.

She smiled and stood up. "Nevertheless, haircut. Sit still."

She went to work, humming softly. This was different than cutting Bobby or Sam's hair. This was surprisingly intimate. She had rarely felt more like Dean's girlfriend than she did right now.

It was over quickly, he didn't have very long hair, and she was sorry when it was done. It had felt very domestic, and for a moment she could pretend they were just Dean and Piper, normal people with normal lives.

"All right, hot stuff, you're done." She smiled when he stood and turned. She stepped around the chair to look up and run her fingers through his hair, searching for missed spots.

He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her waist, letting her finish. "Well, you're as good looking as ever, Winchester, just less unkempt."

Her smile faded when he opened his eyes to look at her, and her heart started to race. This was the same way he'd looked at her in the yard this morning, like she was the only thing in the world. "Dean? Everything okay?"

His lips crashing down onto hers took her by surprise for a moment. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back with everything she had. Her entire scope of focus narrowed down to the parts of her that he was touching. His lips against hers, his hard chest pressed against her soft one, his strong arms around her waist.

"Piper, God-" He murmured against her lips. She went willingly when he started pushing her backward slowly. Apparently, they weren't moving fast enough for him, because he stooped and swept her into his arms. She laughed as he strode quickly to the stairs, then to the bedroom.

She stopped laughing.

 **xxxxx**

"Sam, we'll leave tomorrow for the comic book case. Come on, movie night! It's our last night of vacation!"

Dean grinned, watching Piper work on Sam again. The last two days had passed at a leisurely pace, filled with doing normal things. Watching Pipes cook, working on cars with Bobby, driving around in his Baby with his woman under his arm. Life had been good.

He knew the next day they would be back at it. There was still some heavy shit going on, and he felt responsible. The guilt weighed him down, made it hard for him to breathe.

Piper made it easier by curling herself under his arm, running a hand up and down his leg, as if she knew what he was thinking about. She turned and smiled gently at him. "Hey, no bad thoughts. Movie night."

He pulled her tighter against him and kissed her forehead. "Yeah, okay, kitten."

The first notes of Star Wars sounded through the living room as Sam and Bobby sat down.

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**

 **Reviews, comments, and kudos give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**

 ****A huge thank you to _Impalasapplepiegirl_ for the follow!**

 ****Well, beautiful readers, updates may slow down a tad. I'm working on a new story, but am by no means leaving Dean and Piper behind. But keep an eye out for the new one, I'm super excited about it.**


	40. Did You Read This?

The bell dinged as the three of them entered the comic book store. Piper smiled, looking around at the colorful store, walking behind Dean and Sam. Her hair was loose around her face, dyed again to a brilliant violet. She was hoping that it and the makeup she'd applied would distract from the bruise on her cheek.

The man behind the counter looked up. "Uh… Can I help you?" He eyed Piper's face, and she sighed. Dean shifted guiltily in front of her.

"Sure hope so." He said easily. "Agents DeYoung and Shaw, and Trainee Gowan. Just need to ask you a few questions."

The three of them flashed their badges as Sam asked. "Notice anything strange in the building, last couple of days?"

The employee eyed them warily. "Like what?"

"Well, some other tenants reported flickering lights." Piper supplied, smiling reassuringly.

"Uh, I don't think so. Why?"

"What about noises?" Sam questioned. "Any skittering in the walls? Kind of like rats?"

The man behind the counter cocked an eyebrow. "And the FBI is investigating a rodent problem?"

Dean frowned. "What about cold spots? Feel any sudden drops in temperature?"

The guy grinned. "I knew it! You guys are LARPing, aren't you?"

It was Piper's turn to frown. "Excuse me?"

"You're fans!"

"Fans of what?"

"What is 'LARPing?'" Dean was outright glaring at the man now.

"Like you don't know. Live-Action Role-Play! And pretty hardcore, too. You even have the girl!"

Dean growled, "I'm sorry, I have no idea what you're talking about." Piper placed a hand on his arm to hold him back.

The man behind the counter watched this with a knowing smile. It made Piper want to hit him. "You're asking questions like the building's haunted. Like those guys from the books. What are they called? Uh... 'Supernatural.' Two guys and a chick, use fake IDs with rock aliases, hunt down ghosts, demons, vampires. What are their names? Uh... Steve and Dirk? Uh, Sal and Dane?"

"Sam and Dean?" Sam said, horrified.

The employee snapped his fingers. "That's it!"

Piper stepped in front of the Winchesters. "You're saying this is a book?"

He nodded and made his way over to a table labeled "Bargain Bin." "Books, it was a series. Didn't sell a lot of copies, though. Kind of had more of an underground cult following. Let's see. Um… Ah. Yeah." He picked up a book and handed it to Piper. "That's the first one, I think."

Piper looked down at the cover of the book. There was a drawing of two men, who looked nothing like Dean or Sam, and one of them had an arm around a rail thin woman with unbelievably billowing dark hair. _If that's supposed to be me, heads are going to roll._ She flipped it over to read the back aloud. "Along a lonely California highway, a mysterious woman in white lures men to their deaths."

She looked up at the employee. "We're going to need all of the copies of 'Supernatural' that you have, please."

 **xxxxx**

Piper was reading a fan forum on her laptop, sitting across from Sam, who was presumably doing the same thing. Dean was laying on one of the beds in their motel room, flipping through one of the books.

"This is freakin' insane," Dean griped. "How's this guy know all this stuff?"

Sam shrugged. "You got me."

Dean stood. "Everything is in here. I mean everything. From the racist truck to, to me and Piper having sex. I'm full-frontal in here, dude." Piper looked up and winked at Dean as he spoke. "How come we haven't heard of them before?"

"They're pretty obscure. I mean, almost zero circulation. Uh, started in oh five. The publisher put out a couple dozen before going bankrupt. And, uh, the last one,'No Rest For The Wicked,' ends with you going to hell." Sam turned the laptop toward Dean to show the list of books.

"I reiterate. Freaking insane." Dean studied the website. "Check it out. There's actually fans. There's not many of them, but still. Did you read this?"

Piper chuckled. "Yes."

She watched Dean frown. "Although for fans, they sure do complain a lot. Listen to this. Simpatico says 'the demon storyline is trite, clichéd, and overall craptastic.' Yeah, well, screw you, Simpatico. We lived it."

Piper pulled a face. "Well, keep reading, it gets better."

Dean's eyebrows went up. "There are 'Sam girls' and 'Dean girls.'" He waggled his eyebrows at Piper, and she felt a smile stretch her lips. "Wait, what's a 'slash fan?'"

Piper started chuckling at how uncomfortable poor Sam looked. She took pity and answered for him. "As in, 'Sam-slash-Dean,' baby. Together."

Dean raised his wide eyes to look at her incredulously. "Like, _together_ together? Like, you and me together?" She nodded, and Dean looked at Sam. "They do know we're brothers, right? And that I'm with Piper? Like, _Biblically_ with Piper?"

Sam shrugged. "Doesn't seem to matter."

Dean looked back down at the website and made a face. "Ugh, look at how many people want _you_ two together."

Piper winked at Sam. "Yeah, we've got a pretty big following, Sammy."

He wrinkled his nose. "It was like kissing my sister."

Dean snorted. "Sister-in- _law,_ maybe." Piper's eyes widened and her breath caught. _As in married? As in Dean and I married?_

Before she or Sam could react to that, Dean looked down at Sam. "'Was?' 'Was?' When did the two of you kiss?"

"You were in hell, Dean," Piper said softly, still reeling a little. "We were grieving, and it was a mistake, and it was gross."

Dean grinned and walked over to her side of the table, bending down to kiss her gently. She sighed and leaned into it. "Definitely not gross," she murmured against his mouth.

"Matter of opinion," Sam said with a wince.

Dean pulled away and winked at Piper, who blushed, and then got angry at herself. _For God's sake, the man's seen you naked, stop blushing._ "Yeah, well," Dean said, looking back at Sam. "We gotta find this Carver Edlund."

"Yeah, that might not be so easy. No tax records, no known address."

Piper frowned. "'Carver Edlund' might be a pen name."

Sam nodded. "But someone's got to know where he is."

Piper stood. "Well, let's go." She leaned down, despite her words, and scrolled down further.

Dean leaned down next to her, hand resting on her hip. "Whatcha lookin' at, Pipes?"

She turned to smile at him. "It's a thread specifically for 'Dean girls.' If I ignore the death threats to me, it's kind of nice."

His brow wrinkled. "Death threats?"

Piper ignored him. "It's nice to see that other people see what I see in you." She looked up at Sam, who had just reentered. "Both of you, really."

"What's that?"

She smiled. "That you're both heroes."

Dean stared at her for a second, and she stared back. They had fought that morning when she had woken up to him hitting her across the face in his sleep. He had wanted her to go home. She had told him to find a new tune.

He brought up a hand to cup her face. She closed her eyes and leaned to it. "Some hero," he scoffed quietly, for her ears only.

She didn't open her eyes. "You're _my_ hero."

 **xxxxx**

"Wow, they really didn't sell well, did they?" Piper asked as they approached Chuck Shurley's house. "This place is… Um, not well taken care of."

Dean snorted. "It's a dump."

They approached the house, Sam and Dean standing in front of Piper. Dean pushed the doorbell.

A few moments later, a small man in a robe answered the door. Piper wrinkled her nose as the stale air hit her. Dean's shoulders were tense, so Piper placed a hand on the small of his back.

"You Chuck Shurley?"

"The Chuck Shurley who wrote the 'Supernatural' books?" Sam clarified.

The man swallowed hard. "Maybe. Why?"

"I'm Dean. This is Sam, and Piper standing behind me. The Dean, Sam, and Piper you've been writing about."

The door slammed shut. Piper scowled as Dean rang the bell again.

Chuck opened the door again, clearly nervous. "Look, uh... I appreciate your enthusiasm. Really, I do. It's, uh, it's always nice to hear from the fans. But, uh, for your own good, I strongly suggest you get a life."

He tried to shut the door again, but Dean slammed a hand against it to keep it open. "See, here's the thing. We have a life. You've been using it to write your books."

"Dean," Piper admonished as he pushed his way into the house. "Don't terrify the man."

Chuck's eyes flicked to her gratefully for a moment. "Now, wait a minute. Now, this isn't funny."

"Damn straight, it's not funny," Dean snarled. Piper placed a hand on his arm and frowned at him when he glared down at her.

Sam was trying to be more reasonable. "Look, we just want to know how you're doing it."

"I'm not doing anything," Chuck exclaimed.

Dean wasn't convinced. "Are you a hunter?"

Chuck's eyebrows hit his hairline. "What? No. I'm a writer."

Dean shook Piper's hand off and advanced on Chuck. "Then how do you know so much about demons?" Chuck backed up until he hit the couch and collapsed into him. "And Tulpas, and changelings?"

"Dean, for God's sake," Piper snapped, coming to stand between him and the author. "Stop it, this isn't helping."

Chuck snapped his fingers. "Is this some kind of 'Misery' thing? Ah, it is, isn't it? It's a 'Misery' thing!"

Piper rolled her eyes and stood her ground when Dean tried to move her out of his way. "No, it's not a 'Misery' thing," he snarled at the author, struggling with Piper. "Believe me, we are not fans!"

"Well, then, what do you want?!"

Sam approached slowly, holding his hands up to show he meant no harm. _Thank God someone is keeping calm,_ Piper thought bitterly.

"I'm Sam. And that's Dean. And that's Piper."

"They're fictional characters," Chuck cried. "I made them up! They're not real!"

Dean put his hands firmly on Piper's shoulders and picked her up, turning to move her. She was terribly tempted to kick him in the nuts, but restrained herself.

"I'll show you real," he snarled, placing Piper down and leaning to grab Chuck by the arm.

" _Dean,_ you're not helping." Piper scolded, following the two of them out of the house.

Dean kept his hold on the smaller man as he opened Baby's trunk. Piper and Sam joined them next to the car as the arsenal was displayed to Chuck.

"Are those real guns?" Chuck sounded terrified.

Dean opened his mouth, but Piper slammed a hand over his mouth to shut him up. "Yes, Chuck," she said gently. "This is all very real."

"Well, I gotta hand it to you guys. You really are my number one fans." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "That's, that's awesome. So, I, I think I've got some posters in the house."

Piper's own temper was wearing thin. "Chuck, stop."

"How much do you know?" Sam asked. "Do you know about the angels? Or Lilith breaking the seals?"

Chuck stilled. "Wait a minute. How do _you_ know about that?"

"How do you?" Piper asked, ignoring Dean's attempt to dislodge her hand.

Chuck looked at her. "Because I wrote it?"

Sam's brow wrinkled. "You kept writing?"

"Yeah, even after the publisher went bankrupt, but those books never came out. Okay, wait a minute. This is some kind of joke, right? Did that… Did Phil put you up to this?"

Dean finally got Piper's hand away from his face. He wrapped an arm around her waist. "Well, nice to meet you. I'm Dean Winchester, and this is my brother, Sam, and this is Piper Finley."

Chuck's eyes widened and he paled. "The last names were never in the books. I never told anybody about that. I never even wrote that down."

 **xxxxx**

They had convened back into the house. Dean watched enviously as Chuck knocked back a huge shot of whiskey. He turned around and winced when he saw them. "Oh, you're still there."

Dean nodded. "Yup."

"You're not a hallucination."

"Nope."

Chuck sighed heavily. "Well, there's only one explanation. Obviously I'm a god."

Piper laughed. "You are not a god."

"How else do you explain it? I write things and then they come to life. Yeah, no, I'm definitely a god. A cruel, cruel, capricious god. The things I put you through… The physical beatings alone." He flicked his eyed guiltily to Dean. "I made you hit Piper."

Dean scoffed, guilty and unbelievably irritated. Only Piper's restraining hand on his arm kept him from decking Chuck. "Yeah, we're still in one piece."

"I killed your father. I burned your mother alive. And then you had to go through the whole horrific deal again with Jessica."

Sam sighed. "Chuck…"

"All for what? All for the sake of literary symmetry." He looked at Piper, distraught. Dean glared. "I made you watch your family be eaten by a werewolf. I toyed with your lives, your emotions, for... Entertainment."

Dean was nearing the end of his rope. "You didn't toy with us, Chuck, okay? You didn't create us."

Chuck looked at him mournfully. "Did you really have to live through the bugs?"

"Yeah."

"What about the ghost ship?"

Dean nodded. "Yes, that, too." Piper looked up at him and he looked down, automatically calmed a little by the sight of her wide hazel eyes looking up at him. "Ghost ship?" she mouthed. He shook his head and looked back at Chuck.

"I am so sorry. I mean, horror is one thing, but to be forced to live bad writing... If I would have known it was real, I would have done another pass."

Dean stepped away from Piper. He didn't want to be calm, he wanted to be angry, and she was interfering with that. "Chuck, you're not a god!" he snapped.

"We think you're probably just psychic." Piper said reasonably. Dean glared at her. How could she be reasonable right now?

Chuck was shaking his head. "No. If I were psychic, you think I'd be writing? Writing is hard."

Sam shrugged. "It seems that somehow, you're just... Focused on our lives."

"Yeah, like laser-focused." Dean snapped. He was going to start throwing punches soon. "Are you working on anything right now?"

Chuck paled. "Holy crap."

"What?" Piper asked warily. _Ha, who's reasonable now?_ Dean thought cheerfully.

Chuck moved to pick up a stack of paper on the table. "The, uh, latest book? It's, uh, it's kind of weird."

"'Weird' how?"

"It's very Vonnegut."

Dean stared at Chuck, his mind whirling. "'Slaughterhouse-Five' Vonnegut or 'Cat's Cradle' Vonnegut?"

Sam looked at Dean, insultingly surprised. "What?"

Dean glared at him, and then at Piper when she chuckled. "What?"

Chuck interrupted. "It's, uh, 'Kilgore Trout' Vonnegut. I wrote myself into it. I wrote myself, at my house... Confronted by my characters."

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**

 **Reviews, comments, and kudos give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**

 ****Thank you to _grizzlygizzy_ for the follow!**


	41. Not Within My Power To Do

They were in a laundromat, Piper sitting next to Dean on a table, watching Sam do laundry. Piper was leaning back on her hands, watching Dean read the manuscript Chuck had sent with them.

"I'm sitting in a laundromat, reading about myself sitting in a laundromat reading about myself. My head hurts."

Sam rolled his eyes. "There's gotta be something this guy's not telling us." He turned to put another load of jeans into the washer.

Dean looked down at the paper in his hand. "'Sam tossed his gigantic darks into the machine. He was starting to have doubts about Chuck, about whether he was telling the whole truth.'"

Sam turned to glare at Dean. "Stop it."

"'Stop it,' Sam said.'" Dean looked up and grinned. "Guess what you do next."

Sam scowled and turned away. "'Sam turned his back on Dean, his face brooding and pensive.' I mean, I don't know how he's doing it, but this guy is doing it. I can't see your face, but those are definitely your 'brooding and pensive' shoulders."

Piper laughed. It was nice to see them arguing while doing something as normal as doing laundry, instead of fighting for their lives.

Dean looked back down. "'Piper laughed, so in love with Dean she could barely think about the situation they were in. She was too busy thinking about how nice it was to not be fighting for their lives.'" He turned and grinned at her.

She rolled her eyes. "Shut it, Winchester." _Dick._

"You just thought I was a dick. And now, you're gonna think I'm smug, and you're gonna kiss me."

She glared at him. "This guy's good." He was grinning, his eyes sparkling, and she couldn't help herself as she leaned in to press her lips against his smug smile.

 **xxxxx**

They were driving away from the motel they'd left Sam at, and Piper was worrying. Chuck had told them about the younger brother meeting Lilith that night, and Dean seemed determined to do whatever it took to stop it. Piper agreed, but was terrified that there was nothing they could do.

"Dean, what if-"

"Stop it, Piper," he snapped.

That stung more than she was willing to admit. So when he finally parked Baby, she got out without a word and started across the street.

Dean groaned. "Piper, baby, come on," he whined, following her.

"No, it's fine, Dean," she snapped, not turning around. "Be a dick, I get it, it's your main mode of communication." She was almost completely across the road, starting to step on the sidewalk.

"God dammit, Piper turn around and-" The sound of male laughter had them both turning around. A group of boys was laughing, trying to break into the Impala.

"Hey!" Dean shouted, starting to run across the road.

He must not have seen the van. "Dean!" Piper cried, running after him. She watched helplessly as the van hit him.

She ran to him, hitting her knees and pulling him into her lap. The woman who had been driving the van screamed, and she and her young daughter jumped out and ran to them. The woman was on her knees next to Piper in a second. "Oh, my God, is he okay? Oh, God, I'm so sorry."

Piper had her hand on Dean's neck, checking for a pulse. "He's out, but he's alive. He's been hit pretty hard before."

The daughter looked up at Piper. "Your hair is pretty."

Piper gave the little girl a strained smile. "Thank you, sweetheart."

The girl looked back down at Dean. "I'm a doctor. I can help."

Piper's blood ran cold as the child pulled out a handful of pink, flowery Band-Aids. "Oh, God."

 **xxxxx**

Dean came to with something soft under his head. He opened his eyes slowly, letting himself take his time as he focused on Piper. He didn't know what happened, so he blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "God, you're pretty." He frowned at the bruise on her face.

She smiled, blinking away the tears in her eyes. "You know, if you're going to start ending fights by being hit by a car and then complimenting me, we're going to have to have more fights." She ran a hand through his hair, and he closed his eyes again and leaned into it. "Take it easy, baby, you're going to be okay."

"I'm sorry about, you know," Dean opened his eyes again to look at a woman he'd never met before gesturing at his face. "My daughter's going through a doctor phase."

He looked back up at Piper, confused. "What's she talking about?"

Piper shook her head. "Not now, Dean. We'll talk about it later."

 **xxxxx**

They were waiting for Chuck when he got back. He didn't look very surprised to see them.

"Dean. Piper."

Dean glared. "I take it you knew we'd be here."

Chuck examined Dean. "You look terrible."

"That's because he just got hit by a minivan, Chuck." Piper snapped.

Chuck blinked and clutched the six pack he'd brought in to his chest. "Oh."

Dean stood. "That it? Every damn thing you write about us comes true. That's all you have to say is, 'oh?!'" Piper said nothing at his angry outburst. She knew they were overreacting, but dammit, Dean had just gotten hit by a car, and she was mad.

Chuck winced. "Please don't yell at me."

Piper's eyes narrowed. "Why do I get feeling there's something that you're not telling us, Chuck?"

His wide eyes flicked to her. "What wouldn't I be telling you?"

"How you know what you know, for starters," she said calmly, fighting with her anger.

"I don't know how I know, I just do!"

"That's not good enough," Dean snarled, shoving Chuck against the wall. Piper stood, but said nothing. "How the hell are you doing this?!"

A fluttering of wings was Piper's only warning, and she still yelped a little when Castiel appeared next to her. "Dean, let him go," the angel ordered. "This man is to be protected."

Piper glared at him. "What the hell are you doing here? How dare you?"

Dean released Chuck and turned toward Castiel. Dean's eyes flicked to Piper's, his warning to let him do the talking clear. "Why?" he snapped at the angel.

"He's a prophet of the Lord." Castiel said evenly. He looked at Piper, his eyes falling to her cheek. "Why are you consistently being hurt, Piper?" She continued to glare at him.

Chuck's eyes were huge. "You... You're Castiel... Aren't you?"

Castiel nodded. "It's an honor to meet you, Chuck. I... Admire your work."

Piper frowned. "A prophet? I mean, he's not exactly Shakespeare."

Dean turned to Chuck. "Did you know about this?"

Chuck stumbled to the recliner in the middle of the living room. He opened a bottle of whiskey. "I, uh, I might have dreamt about it."

Piper turned her frown onto him instead of the angel. "And you didn't tell us?"

"It was too preposterous. Not to mention arrogant. I mean, writing yourself into the story is one thing, but as a prophet? That's like M. Night level douchiness." He took a swig of whiskey.

Dean turned to Castiel. "This is the guy who decides our fate?"

Castiel looked at Dean briefly, then looked at Piper. She met his gaze evenly. "He isn't deciding anything. He's a mouthpiece, a conduit for the inspired word."

She frowned. "Like, the word of God?"

Castiel nodded. "One day, these books, they'll be known as the Winchester gospel."

Piper outright glared at him. "What am I, chopped liver?"

Castiel gave her an unreadable look. "You will play a significant role in the Winchester gospel, Piper… Finley."

Before she could figure out what _that_ meant, Chuck gasped. "You gotta be kidding me."

Castiel frowned at the prophet. "I am not… Kidding you."

"If you three would please excuse me one minute." He disappeared up the stairs.

Dean rounded on the angel. "Him? Really?"

"You should've seen Luke." Piper snorted, and Castiel gave her a warm glance that she ignored. She was still angry.

Dean gestured up the stairs. "Why'd he get tapped?"

"I don't know how prophets are chosen. The order comes from high up on the celestial chain of command."

Piper tilted her head. "How high?"

Castiel looked at her. "Very."

Dean shook his head a little. "Well, whatever. How do we get around this?"

Castiel frowned at him. "Around what?"

"The Sam-Lilith love connection. How do we stop it from happening?"

"What the prophet has written can't be unwritten. As he has seen it, so it shall come to pass."

 **xxxxx**

Piper followed Dean into the motel room, wincing as he barked at Sam, "Come on. We're getting out of here."

Sam stood. "What? Where?"

"Anywhere. I don't care if we have to swim out of this town, we're getting out."

Piper looked around, bemused and scared. "Sam, where are the hex bags?"

Sam took a deep breath and faced them. "I burned them."

Dean's eyebrows rose. "You what?"

"Look, if Lilith is coming, which is a big 'if-'"

"No, it's not," Piper said quietly. "Chuck is a prophet, not a psychic."

Sam frowned at her. "What?"

"Cass showed up, and apparently Chuck is writing the gospel of us." Dean answered.

Sam shrugged. "Okay, it doesn't change anything."

"Sam, Lilith is going to wipe the floor with you," Piper said.

The taller Winchester shrugged again. "Maybe she will, maybe she won't."

"So what?" Dean scoffed. "You think you can take her?"

"Only one way to find out, and I say bring her on."

Piper sighed. "Sam…"

"You guys think I'll do it, don't you? You think I'll go dark side."

"Yes!" Dean exploded. "Okay? Yes. The way you've been acting lately? The things you've been doing?" Sam looked startled. "Oh, I know. How you ripped Alastair apart like it was nothing, like you were swatting a fly. Piper told me, okay?"

Sam glared at her, and she stared back, a little surprised. Did he expect her to keep quiet? "What else did she tell you?" He asked softly, dangerously. Piper blinked, unfamiliar fear trickling down her spine.

Fear of Sam.

Dean slowly and deliberately moved in front of Piper, blocking her from his brother's view. "Nothing I don't already know. That you've been using your psychic crap, and you've been getting stronger. We just don't know why, and we don't know how."

"It's not what you think."

"Then what is it, Sam? 'Cause I'm at a total loss." He got his bag, took Piper's hand, and led her to the door. When he got there, he turned back to Sam. "Are you coming or not?"

"No."

Dean turned to look at Piper. She held his gaze for a long moment, already knowing that they probably weren't going anywhere. He let out a frustrated huff, dropped the bag, and pulled her out the door with him.

When they were out, he turned and looked at her, pulling her close and wrapping his arms around her. "I don't know what to do, Pipes," he said softly.

She hugged him tight. "It's okay, Dean, I think I do."

She closed her eyes. _Castiel, we're fresh out of options. We need your help._

"I am gladdened to see that you have not lost your faith, Piper." Castiel said from behind her. "This is a good thing."

Dean tensed. "So does that mean you'll help?"

Piper turned in Dean's arms to look at the angel, who looked unsure. "I'm not sure what I can do."

She frowned. "Pull Sam out. Get us out of here before Lilith shows up."

He shook his head. "It's a prophecy. I can't interfere."

Dean was tense, almost shaking. Piper leaned back into his chest as he spoke. "You have tested me and thrown me every which way. And I have never asked for anything. Not a damn thing. But now I'm asking. I need your help. Please."

Castiel looked upset. "What you're asking, it's... Not within my power to do."

Piper scoffed. "Why? Because it's 'divine prophecy?'"

He nodded. "Yes."

Dean exhaled sharply. "So, what? We're just supposed to sit around and, and wait for it to happen?"

"I'm sorry."

"Screw you, wings," Piper snapped. "Screw you, your mission, and your God."

She felt Dean nod behind her. "If you don't help us now, then when the time comes and you need me... Don't bother knocking." He started to walk past the angel, wrapping an arm around Piper's shoulders.

The angel's voice stopped them. "Dean. Piper."

Dean whipped around. "What?!"

Castiel looked at Piper, and she saw something in his eyes that made her pay attention. "You must understand why I can't intercede. Prophets are very special. They're protected."

She nodded slowly. "Okay."

His gaze intensified. "If anything threatens a prophet, anything at all, an archangel will appear to destroy that threat. Archangels are fierce. They're absolute. They're heaven's most terrifying weapon."

Dean had listened, too. "And these archangels, they're tied to prophets?"

Castiel nodded slowly. "Yes."

"So if a prophet was in the same room as a demon-"

"Then the most fearsome wrath of heaven would rain down on that demon. Just so you understand... Why I can't help."

Dean nodded. "Thanks, Cass."

"Good luck."

They turned to leave, and Castiel's voice stopped them again, but it was much closer this time. "Piper."

She turned, and he placed two fingers on her forehead. Warmth enveloped her cheek, and she blinked at him. "Thank you, Cass."

Dean had his keys in his hand, and he had watched the exchange closely. "Come on, Pipes, let's go kidnap ourselves a prophet."

 **xxxxx**

The plan had worked. Piper was worried that Castiel might get into trouble for tipping them off, but she didn't say anything about it to the guys. They had enough on their plates already.

She was laying next to Dean, examining his face as he did the same to her. It had become habit to lay face-to-face every night. Sometimes they talked, sometimes they just fell asleep like that. It was Piper's favorite part of the day.

"He didn't take the deal," she whispered, low enough that it wouldn't travel over to Sam's bed. She knew it was on Dean's mind. Lilith had offered Sam a deal: His and Dean's heads on a plate, and she'd stop breaking seals and leave Lucifer in his cage. Sam had declined.

Dean's lips twitched up and he searched her eyes. "How do you always know?"

She smiled. "Once you know how, you're not all that hard to read, Winchester."

He smiled, then sobered quickly. "He didn't even _think_ about it, kitten. He's… I don't know, he's different."

"And you're worried that whatever he's doing to get stronger, it's making him darker."

He nodded. "And I'm right. The kid isn't the same as he was."

She put a hand on his face, running her thumb along his beautiful cheekbone. "Dean, he's not a kid. And you can help him. Maybe you can even save him."

He watched her speak, then let his eyes rest on her cheekbone where the bruise had been. "I don't know if I'm up to saving anyone, kitten."

She leaned forward and kissed him. "Then we'll save him together."

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**

 **Reviews, comments, and kudos give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	42. Are You Sure?

"Dean, if you shoot him, I will shoot you."

"Quiet, Piper. This is a trap."

"What if it isn't?"

The waitress approached the table, her nametag read "Denise." Piper smiled warmly at her, while trying to take the gun from Dean's hand under the table.

"Hi. Welcome to Cousin Oliver's."

"Thanks," Sam said with a smile.

She responded the way women usually did. "Can I-"

"We're actually waiting on somebody," Dean snapped.

Denise, annoyed, slapped menus down in front of each of them.

Dean had arranged their chairs so that Adam could only choose one place to sit. He and Piper on one side, Sam on the other.

Piper picked up a menu, trying to ignore Dean as he picked up the glass of water in front of him and poured it into the potted plant next to him.

Sam glared. "What are you-"

Dean pulled out a flask and poured water from it into the glass instead.

Piper rolled her eyes. "Holy water."

Dean nodded, eyes never leaving the door of the diner. "Yup. One sip of Jesus juice, this evil bitch is gonna be in a world of hurt." He then took out a package and replaced the silverware that was set at the fourth place at the table with actual silver utensils.

Piper glared at him. "So, what? If he's not possessed, he's a shapeshifter?"

Dean glared back. "This is a trap, woman. Look, either way, this thing is gonna bleed. I mean, using Dad as bait? That's the last mistake of its short, pitiful life."

Sam looked at Dean for a long moment. Dean turned his glare to his brother. "What?"

"Dean… Listen. There's an entry in Dad's journal." He flipped the journal open. "From January of nineteen ninety, saying he's headed to Minnesota to check out a case. That's roughly, uh, about nine months before the kid was born."

Dean shrugged. "Coincidence."

Piper huffed and Sam's eyebrows raised. "Coincidence. Next two pages of the journal? Torn out."

"You're not actually buying this, are you?"

Sam shrugged. "Look, man, I don't want to believe it either, I'm just saying it's possible. I mean, Dad would be gone for weeks at a time, and he wasn't exactly a monk. I mean, a hunter rolls into town, kills a monster, saves the girl… Sometimes the girl's grateful."

Piper chuckled when Dean made a face. "Well, now I'm thinking about Dad sex. Stop talking."

Sam winked at Piper. "Maybe he slipped one past the goalie." Piper laughed out loud.

The door chimed, and a tall, thin young man walked in. Piper examined him with interest. He looked _very_ young, relaxed. He was looking for them, and she raised her hand. "Adam?"

He approached the table. "You're, uh, Piper?"

She smiled. "Yep! This is Sam, and this is Dean."

He set his backpack on the floor next to him and took the empty chair. "So, um, how did you know my dad?"

"We, uh, we worked together." Sam said easily.

Sam examined the two men, then his eyes fell to Piper. "How did he die?"

"On the job," Sam said slowly, examining the man next to him.

"He was a mechanic, right?"

"A car fell on him," Dean said shortly. Piper kicked him under the table.

The waitress came back. "Hey, Adam, you doing?"

She set a water on the table. Piper could have strangled Dean when he took it. "I'll take that," he said cheerfully. "I am very thirsty."

The waitress eyed Dean, then turned back to Adam. "So, the usual, Adam?"

He was also eyeing Dean. "Uh, yeah. Thanks, Denise."

Adam took a sip of the holy water in front of him, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. _So, terrible manners run in the family,_ Piper thought ruefully.

"So," Sam said, trying to break the awkward silence. "When's the last time you saw John?"

Adam shook his head. "I don't even know. It's… A couple years."

"Why did you decide to call him now?" Sam asked.

"I didn't know who else to call. He's the only family I got. My mom's missing."

Piper inhaled sharply. "Oh, no. I'm so sorry, Adam. For how long?"

"Tragic, really," Dean snapped, giving Piper the side eye. "But if you're John's kid, how come we've never heard of you?"

"Dean," Piper hissed, horrified.

"'Cause John and me didn't really know each other. Not until a few years ago, anyway." Adam answered warily.

Sam looked at the younger man. "What do you mean?"

Adam shrugged. "My mom never talked about him. I knew some stuff."

"What kind of stuff?" Dean asked, practically snarling. Piper kicked him again.

"My mom's a nurse, and Dad came into the ER, pretty torn up. Hunting accident or something. And I knew his name. John Winchester. That's about it. We're not exactly a nuclear family."

Sam smiled. "Yeah, well, who is these days?"

"So when did you, uh, finally meet him?" Dean asked.

"When I was twelve. My mom had one of his old numbers, and after I begged her, God, twenty-four-seven, she finally called him. God, when John heard he had a son, he raced to town. I mean, he dropped everything. He drove all night."

"Well, that's heartwarming." Dean sneered.

Denise came and dropped a plate of food in front of Adam. When she had gone, he gestured to the plate. "You mind?"

Dean shrugged. "Please, dig in."

The three of them watched as he picked up the knife and fork, and nothing happened. _Okay, no demon, no shapeshifter, just John's long lost son,_ Piper thought to herself.

"He would swing by once a year or so," Adam continued, cutting into his food. "You know, called when he could. But still… He taught me poker and pool and even bought me my first beer when I was fifteen. And, uh… He showed me how to drive. Dad, he had this beautiful 'sixty-seven Impala-"

"Oh, this is crap," Dean interrupted. "You know what, you're lying."

"Oh for God's sake," Piper muttered.

Adam stopped, taken aback. "No, I'm not."

"Uh, yeah, you are."

Adam put his utensils down. "I'm sorry, but who the hell are you to call me a liar?"

"We're John Winchester's sons, that's who." He indicated himself and Sam. "We are his sons."

Adam frowned, then looked at Piper. "Are you his daughter?"

She chuckled. "No, I'm dating Dean."

Adam went back to staring at Sam and Dean. "I've got brothers?"

"No, you don't have brothers," Dean snarled. "Look, man, I don't know if you're a hunter or what kind of game you're playing here."

Adam blinked. "I have never been hunting in my life."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Whatever, we're out of here. Sam, Pipes."

He stood up to leave. Piper gave Adam an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Adam, he's just-"

"I can prove it."

 **xxxxx**

"Okay, so… Basically, you're saying that every movie monster, every nightmare that I've ever had, that's all real?"

Dean shrugged. "Godzilla's just a movie."

"We hunt them," Piper said, shooting Dean a look. "So did your father."

Adam nodded. "Okay."

Dean glared at him. "'Okay?' That's it?"

Adam looked back at him, confused. "What am I supposed to say?"

Dean threw his hands in the air. "That we're liars, that we're crazy. Nobody just says 'okay.'"

Adam shrugged. "Well, you're my brothers. And my brother's girlfriend. You're telling me the truth, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then I believe you. Now, what took my mom?"

Sam shook his head. "We're not sure. Something's in town stealing bodies, living and dead, but we don't know what."

"There's a pretty long list of monsters that fit the bill," Piper said gently. Poor kid, he just lost his mom, and now his whole world had been turned upside down. She took a moment to reflect that he was doing remarkably well with the knowledge.

"You think maybe she's still alive?" Adam asked hopefully.

Piper winced, and Dean and Sam looked down, avoiding his gaze.

"Oh." Adam straightened a little. "How can I help?"

Dean's head snapped up. "You can't."

Adam glared at him, and Piper saw some good old fashioned Winchester stubbornness in it. "This thing killed my mom. If you're hunting it, I want in."

Dean shook his head. "No."

PIper smacked him on the arm. "Dean, he lost his mother, and he wants to find the thing that took her. Maybe you guys understand that?" She looked between Sam and Dean.

"Why do you think Dad never told us about him, Piper?" Dean asked, glaring down at her. She refused to be intimidated, and stared right back at him. "Why do you think he ripped the pages out of his journal?

"Because he was protecting him," she snapped back, stepping forward until they were almost nose to nose. "Fat lot of good it did him."

"That doesn't matter! He didn't want Adam to have our lives, okay? And we are going to respect his wishes."

"Screw that, Dean, no. If Adam wants to hunt, I'm going to teach him. I don't need you or your permission."

"Do I get a say in this?" Adam asked hesitantly.

"No!" Dean shouted.

"Of course," Piper said, shooting a glare at Dean. When he opened his mouth, she shook her head. "Take a walk, Dean, there is not an argument to be had here."

Dean huffed and grabbed his jacket, slamming his door on the way out. Piper ran a frustrated hand through her hair, resisting the urge to run after him.

Adam looked at Sam. "Are they always like this?"

Sam chuckled. "Pretty much. Welcome to the family."

 **xxxxx**

Piper was watching Adam disassemble a pistol, quietly giving direction when needed, when he asked. "Sam… How did Dad really die?"

Sam didn't look up from the shotgun he was cleaning. "Demon."

Adam stopped and looked between Piper and Sam. "You hunted it down? Got revenge?"

"Dean killed it," Sam said shortly.

"So it's over for you."

Piper shook her head. "It's never over, Adam."

The lights suddenly went out, and there was a rattling noise from the other end of the room.

"What the-" Adam started. Piper shushed him, taking the handgun and quickly reassembling it.

"Stay here," she said shortly. She went to the door, looking around. There was a sound behind her. She turned, gun pointed, but there was still nothing. She looked up and spotted the vent near the ceiling. "Sam, it's in the vents! Go!"

They ran to the parking lot, Adam following behind.

"Where's your car?" Sam asked.

Adam pointed. "Over here."

"All right, keys."

Adam tossed him the keys as they ran through the parking lot. Piper joined Adam at the passenger side, keeping her back to his and making sure they weren't followed.

A soft grunt from the other side alerted her that Sam was in trouble.

"Sam!" Adam cried out.

Piper ran to the other side of Adam's truck as the Impala pulled up. She saw Sam clinging to the truck, resisting whatever was trying to pull him under. "Dean!" she shouted, grabbing Sam's arm and pulling as hard as she could.

Adam joined her. As they were pulling, Dean pulled a gun from his waistband and fired off a shot. There was a screech as whatever was holding Sam let go. Piper fell backwards, and Adam did the same.

"What the hell?" she asked softly, accepting Dean's outstretched hand to help her up.

 **xxxxx**

Piper was in Adam's house with him, pouring salt lines along the doors and windows. She was mulling over the heated conversation she'd overheard between Sam and Dean. Sam had insisted that Adam would have to cut all ties to his life, and Dean had disagreed. Dean wanted Adam to have a normal, happy life. Sam had insisted that it was never going to happen now.

Piper assumed that there were plenty people who came in contact with things that go bump in the night, then went back to their normal lives. They should, they should be happy. Her normal life, her _entire_ normal life, had been ripped away from her, so she had chosen to fight the darkness. It was a decision Adam would have to make for himself, but neither of the Winchester brothers seemed to be willing to let him do that.

"Idiots," she muttered under her breath.

"What was that?" Adam asked curiously.

She smiled at him. "Nothing, Adam. We've closed off every other way into the house, so if it's coming, it's going to come through the vent in your mom's bedroom floor."

They went to make their way to the bedroom, but there was a creak behind them. Piper whirled around.

"You were saying?" Adam asked warily.

A woman came in, her eyes lighting up when she saw Adam. "Adam! Oh, God, Adam!"

"Mom?"

Piper picked up her shotgun and pointed at the woman. "No."

"Mom!" Adam cried.

"Adam!" Piper snapped. "Adam, wait."

Adam approached his mom. "Mom."

"It took me, but I got away," the woman said breathlessly. The two embraced.

PIper kept the shotgun aimed at her. "Adam, step away from her."

He turned to see the gun. "Piper, what the hell?!"

"She's not your mother, Adam! There was too much blood. Your mother's dead. There was too much blood in the vents!"

Piper reached forward and yanked Adam away from the woman. He grabbed the shotgun out of her hands. "Adam!" the woman cried.

"Adam, you have to shoot it," Piper said softly. "It's not human."

Adam pointed the shotgun at Piper, who felt the blood drain from her face. "I know," he said, smirking, then hit her hard with the shotgun, and darkness descended.

 **xxxxx**

Piper came to slowly, her head pounding. She tried to move, but was tied down at the wrists and ankles. There was also duct tape across her waist. She groaned. "Should have known. You're not shapeshifters, you're ghouls."

"You know," said the thing impersonating Kate Mulligan. "I find that term racist."

The woman leaned forward and nibbled on Piper's ear. Piper growled, trying to restrain the nausea rolling her stomach.

"Mmm," the thing said. "Fresh meat. So much better than what we're used to."

"It was the fresh kills that threw me," PIper said conversationally. "You guys don't usually go after the living. Filthy scavengers most of the time."

The thing that called itself Adam came into the room, smirking. "Well, you are what you eat."

"You're monsters," Piper spat.

'Kate' drew the knife across Piper's arm. Piper hissed in pain, then in nausea as 'Kate' leaned down to lick at the wound.

"You know, you guys use that word a lot, Piper." 'Adam' said thoughtfully. "But I don't think you know what it means. Our father was a monster? Why? Because of what he ate? He never hurt anyone, _Pipes._ Living, anyway."

'Kate' was going to town on Piper's arm, and Piper was pretty sure she was about to vomit. Then the thing leaned up and grinned at Piper. "No. He was no monster. But the thing that killed him was. A monster named John Winchester."

'Adam,' using the distraction of John's name, stabbed Piper in the side. She screamed, pain exploding through her.

He set the knife to the side, the dug a finger into the wound. Piper screamed again, trying to writhe.

"Thanks to your daddy-in-law, my brother and I grew up on our own. At least we had each other."

'Adam' had pulled his finger out of Piper's side, and she was panting, trying not to pass out. She watched in disgust as he licked his finger. "Not quite like you and Dean, of course, but we were inseparable."

"Actually, it was very hard to get one of you on your own."

'Adam' grinned down at her. "You know, it's like Sam said. The only thing you can count on is family."

 **xxxxx**

Dean came into the room slowly, intending to sneak up on them. The sight of Piper tied to the table, deep gashes in her arms, threw that plan out the window. "Hey!"

He shot the thing that called itself Adam in the chest, and it hit the wall.

"Dean, they're ghouls!" Piper cried from the table.

Dean fired at 'Kate,' hitting her in the head. He then turned to 'Adam,' but was too late to prevent him from tackling Dean onto the ground. They grappled, and Dean finally gained the upper hand. He grabbed a metal bar from the ground and beat the damn thing's head in.

"Dean," Piper said weakly, and Dean's heart stopped.

He grabbed some towels from the kitchen and ran in to her, cutting the ropes and duct tape. He pressed the towels onto her arms and helped her sit up. "Come on, kitten, you're gonna be all right. Come on, let's go," he murmured, trying to make sure she could stand.

"Thanks, baby," she said softly, pressing onto her arms and wincing.

"That's what I'm here for, kitten. Let's get the hell out of here."

 **xxxxx**

Dean had booked them a separate motel room after they had given Adam a hunter's funeral. He was still mulling over the way Sam had handled this case, and he was worried about it. Sam was changing. He wasn't the kid Dean had taken from Stanford, and now he was starting to regret doing that. He loved his brother, he loved hunting with his brother, but this… This was different. Something felt bad about this.

But for now, he put all of those things aside to take care of Piper. She was pale, weak, and upset. He carried her in and set their bags down before gently placing her on the bed. Once he had her situated, he sat down next to her, running a hand up and down her thigh. "How you feeling, kitten?"

She made a face. "Like a ghoul stuck her tongue in me." She sighed, and smiled to take the bite out of her words. "I'm okay, baby, just tired."

He brushed the hair off of her forehead. "Want me to call Cas? See if he'll do you another favor?"

She shook her head. "No, I'll be all right. Just come lay down next to me, okay?"

It was his turn to shake his head. He tensed for the fight he knew was about to happen. "No, Pipes, I'm sleeping in the other room with Sammy. You need to rest."

She blinked. "Why would you sleep in the other room?"

Suddenly her eyes narrowed, and Dean swore the temperature dropped at least ten degrees. "Dean Winchester," she said softly. "Why would you sleep in another room?"

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "You know why, Pipes."

She sat up quickly, and he frowned. "Take it easy, Piper, come on-"

"No," she said simply. "No, no to this whole conversation. This whole conversation _again._ You're not sleeping in another room, you're not 'protecting' me from yourself, you're not treating me like a child anymore. Just no, Dean."

"Piper, come on. Baby, you've got to get some rest, and how can you do that if-" He swallowed hard. "How can you do that if I might have another nightmare and hit you again?"

She leaned forward to press her forehead against his. "How many times do I have to say I love you before you believe it?" she asked quietly.

He frowned, but didn't move away from her. "What?"

She leaned back and met his eyes. "Dean, I love you. _All_ of you, dummy. I love the way you hunt, I love the way you make love to me, I love the way you always make sure Sammy is okay. I love the good things about you."

"And the bad. I love you when you're drinking too much, I love you when you're reckless, I love you when you ogle other women. And I love you when you have nightmares, and I love you when you _accidentally_ hit me in the night." She smiled at him gently. "It doesn't matter to me, Dean. If you really want to go, you can, but I wish you'd stay."

He stared at her hard. She was too pale, her hair was limp in it's braid. There were dark circles under her eyes. Even though she was the most beautiful sight on Earth, she kind of looked like shit.

What _didn't_ look like shit was the love shining through her eyes. _She loves me,_ he thought with wonder, not for the first time. He didn't understand it. He didn't _deserve_ it. He had tortured souls, been the best of the best at it. And she was right, he drank too much, drove too fast, and looked at other women when he thought she wasn't looking. She was too good for him, by far.

"Are you sure?" he asked raggedly, unsure if he was talking about her loving him or him sleeping in her bed.

She smiled. "I always am, baby."

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**

 **Reviews, comments, and kudos give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	43. Stop the Car, Take a Swing

"Of course we keep our promises. Of course you have our gratitude. You served us well. Your work is done. It's time to go home now. Your real home. You'll rest forever in the fields of the Lord. Rest now, Jimmy."

Piper watched Castiel, possessing Claire Novak, talk to Jimmy Novak. She was sick to her stomach, her head hurt where that bitch demon had hit her before Dean ganked it, and Sam still had blood on his face from when he had been _drinking demon blood?_

 _Worst. Day. Ever._

Jimmy was clutching his bloody stomach, looking horrified at Castiel. "No. Claire?"

The little girl shook her head. "She's with me now. She's chosen. It's in her blood, as it was in yours."

"Please, Castiel. Me, just take me. Take me, please."

Dean wrapped an arm around Piper and they leaned on one another, both exhausted. She watched, tears spilling down her cheeks, as this brave man begged for his daughter.

"I want to make sure you understand," the angel was saying. "You won't die or age. If this last year was painful for you, picture a hundred, a thousand more like it."

"It doesn't matter. You take me. Just take me."

The little girl seemed to consider for a moment, then spoke. "As you wish."

She leaned forward and touched Jimmy's face, and Piper winced as a bright light symbolized Castiel changing vessels. Claire fell to her hands and knees, and Amelia rushed forward and swept her daughter into her arms.

Castiel, now in the familiar face that Piper knew, stood and turned to leave.

"Cass, hold up. What were you gonna tell me?" Dean said, walking forward to the angel.

Castiel didn't turn around, but he did stop. "I learned my lesson while I was away, Dean. I serve heaven, I don't serve man, and I certainly don't serve you."

" _Hey,"_ Piper snapped, ignoring Dean's restraining hand on her arm. "Castiel, don't you dare walk away from me."

"Was there a part of 'I don't serve man' that you didn't understand, Piper Finley?"

She was incensed, but kept her walk slow as she circled Castiel until she was facing him. "Cass, please," she said softly. She gently, slowly placed a hand on his face. "Please, tell us what's going on. What did they do to you?" She whispered the last question. She didn't quite understand her attachment to the angel, but the thought of heaven hurting him upset her greatly.

"No." He said firmly. He kept her gaze for a moment, then looked away as he stepped around her and walked out of the warehouse.

 **xxxxx**

The only displeasure Dean had shown so far was to tell Piper to get in the front seat, banishing Sam to the back. She had sat against the passenger side door, but as soon as Dean had gotten into the car he had placed a hand on her leg and tugged her toward him until she was curled under his arm.

Suddenly, from the backseat. "All right, let's hear it."

"What?" Piper asked, turning to look at him. She placed a hand on Dean's chest to look back at Sam.

"Drop the bomb. You guys saw what I did. Stop the car, take a swing, yell at me. Something."

Dean shook his head, not even looking at the rear view. "I'm not gonna take a swing."

Piper turned back to the front and rested herself against Dean again as he spoke. "I'm not mad, Sam."

Sam scoffed. "Come on. You're not mad?"

"Nope."

"Right," Sam said skeptically. "Look, at least let me explain myself."

"Just stop, Sam. No one cares," Piper said softly, tired of hearing them fight. It felt like the boys were _always_ fighting now.

Sam sounded shocked. "You don't care?"

Dean exhaled sharply. "What do you want me to say, that I'm disappointed? Yeah, I am. But, mostly, I'm just tired, man. I'm done. I am just done."

Suddenly, Sam's phone rang. "Hey, Bobby. What's going on?" Sam hung up the phone after a few moments.

Closing her eyes against the tears that were forming in her eyes, Piper tried to keep her voice light. "What did he say?"

 **xxxxx**

Dean watched Piper out of the corner of his eye as he talked to Sam through the little window in the panic room door at Bobby's. Her had was clasped over her mouth, and her shoulders were shaking. He wanted nothing more than to go to her, to comfort her, but this had to be dealt with.

 _Sam_ had to be dealt with.

"Okay. Let me out. This is not funny." Sam was saying through the door. _Begging_ through the door.

Dean was so tired of this. He was tired of everything. He just wanted to take Piper away from here, give her a good life, and maybe do something with his hands for money. He wanted to stop this.

But this still had to be dealt with. So instead, he snapped, "Damn straight."

"Dean, come on. This is crazy."

"No. Not until you dry out."

Sam was starting to look scared. "Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lied to you. Just open the door."

Dean shook his head, his gaze flicking to Piper, watching the tears drip down her face. "You don't have to apologize. It's not your fault. It's not your fault that you lied to me over and over again. I get it now. You couldn't help it."

"I'm not some junkie," Sam snapped.

Dean raised his eyebrows. "Really? I guess I've just imagined how strung out you've been lately."

He watched Sam run a frustrated hand through his hair. "You're actually trying to twist this into some kind of ridiculous drug intervention?"

Dean shrugged. "If it smells like a duck."

"Dean, I'm not drinking the demon blood for kicks. I'm getting strong enough to kill Lilith."

"Strong? This is about as far away from strong as you can get. Try weak. Try desperate. _Pathetic."_

Sam shook his head. "Killing Lilith is what matters. Or are you so busy being self-righteous you forgot about her?"

Dean nodded. "Oh, Lilith's gonna die. Bobby, Piper, and I will kill her. But not with you."

Sam looked shocked. "You're not serious."

Dean smiled coldly. "Congrats, Sammy. You just bought yourself a benchwarmer seat to the apocalypse."

Dean slammed the window cover shut.

He turned and walked to Piper, ignoring Sam's cries through the door. She reached for him, and he swept her into his arms, holding her tightly. He rested his chin on her head, his own eyes falling shut. "It's going to be all right, kitten."

"I hate this," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck and clinging to him.

Dean pressed a kiss to her head. "Me, too, kitten. Me, too."

 **xxxxx**

He was sitting at the kitchen table with Piper sitting across his lap, her head resting on his shoulder. Giving comfort and receiving it at the same time.

Bobby came in, carrying three glasses and a bottle of whiskey. He set the glasses down, poured everyone a healthy glass, and handed them out. Piper sat up and took hers silently, her arm wrapping around Dean's shoulders.

Sam was crying out from the panic room. Dean winced. "How long is this gonna go on?"

Bobby shot Dean a bitch face. "Here, let me look it up in my demon detox manual. Oh, wait. No one ever wrote one." He sighed sadly. "No telling how long it'll take. Hell, or if Sam will even live through it."

Bobby's phone rang. He looked at it, practically growled, and flipped it open. "Hello. Suck dirt and die, Rufus. You call me again, I'll kill you."

Piper looked up. "What's up with Rufus?"

"He knows," Bobby snapped as the phone rang again. He looked at it, actually growled, and flipped it open again. "I'm busy, you son of a bitch. This better be important."

Bobby walked out of the room to talk on the phone. Dean turned to Piper, who was staring down into her whiskey glass. "How you holding up, kitten?"

She shook her head. "I'm not." She looked up and met his gaze, and the tears in her eyes were killing him. "Are you?"

He shook his head. "No."

She sighed. "I think this is best, Dean. I think this is the best decision we could have made, for Sam. But…" She sniffed. "But I really fucking hate it."

He pulled her close and kissed her gently. "Me, too, kitten."

She pressed her forehead to his. "I love you. It's going to be okay. You know that, right?"

He sighed. "Whatever you say, Pipes." The words were on the tip of his tongue, he wanted to say them so bad, but something held him back.

Dean suspected he wasn't going to make it out of this. He could taste it. The end was coming, and he was going down with the ship. He would do whatever he could to make sure Piper didn't come with him. And burdening her now didn't seem fair. Maybe if she didn't know how crazy he was about her, if she didn't know that there was _nothing_ he wouldn't do for her… Maybe if she didn't know that to ensure she would be safe, he would walk back into hell without a second's hesitation, maybe she would move on after he died.

Maybe she would be better off without knowing how much he adored everything about her.

He was saved from considering these things by Bobby reentering the kitchen. "The news ain't good."

Dean looked up at him, disappointment and relief warring in his heart. "That's what Rufus called about?"

Bobby nodded. "Alaska. Fifteen man fishing crew all stricken blind, cause unknown. New York, teacher goes postal, locks the door, kills exactly sixty-six kids. All this in a single day. I looked them up. There's no doubt about it. They're all seals. Breaking. Fast."

Piper looked at him. "How many are left?"

Bobby shrugged. "Who knows? Can't be many." He examined the two of them. "Where the hell are your angel pals?"

Dean frowned, irritated. "You tell me."

Bobby sighed. "I'm just wondering… The apocalypse being nigh and all… Is _now_ really the right time to be having this little domestic drama of ours?"

Piper frowned at him. "What do you mean?"

Bobby sighed and ran a hand down his face. "Well, I don't like this any more than you two do, but Sam can kill demons. He's got a shot at stopping Armageddon."

Only the fact that Piper was sitting on him, and she had suddenly tightened her arm around his neck, kept Dean from standing to confront his father-figure. "So what? Sacrifice Sam's life, his soul, for the greater good? Is that what you're saying? Times are bad, so let's use Sam as a nuclear warhead?"

Bobby sighed again. "Look, I know you hate me for suggesting it. _I_ hate me for suggesting it. I love that boy like a son. All I'm saying is maybe he's here right now instead of on the battlefield because we love him too much."

 **xxxxx**

"Bobby! Dean! Help! Hey! Hey! Piper, please! Guys! Guys! Help! Dean!"

Piper closed her eyes, trying to block out the sound of Sam's cries. Dean had gone outside a long time ago, and she had let him. He had a lot to think about, and he didn't need her crying all over him while he was doing it. Bobby was in the living room, doing research. Which left Piper here, listening to Sam scream, trying to gauge if he actually needed her, or if it was the withdrawal talking.

When Dean walked back in, she stood and went to him gratefully. She wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest as he wrapped his arms around her, crushing her to him. "Oh, God, Dean…"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you willingly signed up to be the angels' bitch?" Bobby asked from behind them. Piper jumped a little, then looked up at Dean's face.

He didn't meet her eyes, and she frowned. "Dean?"

He still didn't look at her, just at Bobby miserably. "I'm sorry," Bobby snapped. "You prefer 'sucker?' After everything you said about them, now you trust them?"

Dean scoffed. "Come on, give me a little credit, Bobby. I've never trusted them less. I mean, they come on like shady politicians from planet Vulcan."

Piper tried to pull away, but Dean's arm kept her close against him. "Dean, what? What is he talking about?"

He finally looked down at her. "Pipes, I…" He swallowed hard. "What other option do I have? It's either trust the angels, or let Sammy trust a demon?"

She fought the emotions building inside her. "Dean, I-"

He suddenly looked up, his arms tensed around her. "You hear that?"

"That's a little too much nothing," Bobby said from behind them.

Dean released Piper, and the three of them thundered down the stairs. Piper got there first and slammed open the little window in the door. Sam was on the floor, seizing. "Dean!" she cried out as she slammed open the bolt.

He came up behind her and slammed it shut again. She whipped around to glare at him, which he returned down to her. "What if he's faking?"

A loud bang sounded from the panic room, and Piper turned to see Sam being slammed into the wall by an invisible force. "Does that look like he's faking it?" she snarled, pulling the bolt open and running in.

Dean was right behind her and they managed to pin Sam to the floor with Bobby. After a what seemed like a lifetime to Piper, Sam finally passed out and relaxed.

Bobby, who was holding Sam's legs, looked up at both of them, worry etched on his face. "We're gonna have to tie him down, for his own safety."

Piper looked over at Dean, whose eyes weren't focused. She reached over to place a hand on his arm. "Dean, baby? Dean, are you with me?"

He seemed to shake himself out of it and looked at her. "Yeah, yeah," he said softly. "Let's just get it over with."

 **xxxxx**

"What if he dies, Dean?" Piper asked quietly. They were arguing about Sam. Bobby thought they were killing him with this forced detox. Bobby wanted to give him demon blood. Piper was terrified to lose Sam, and she was leaning towards Bobby's point of view.

"Then at least he dies human!" Dean shouted across the room at her. She flinched, and hated herself for it when he saw the devastation on his face.

His face hardened, and Piper felt cold. He closed himself off from her completely for the first time since they had gotten together. "I would die for him in a second, but I won't let him do this to himself. I can't. I guess I found my line. I won't let my brother turn into a monster."

Piper scowled, glaring at him. "Screw you, Dean, nobody is suggesting that we do. How could you think that's what I want?" She ran a hand through her hair, struggling to keep a lid on her temper. "I love Sam, too, Dean, you know that. You're not the only one rooting for him."

"Guys," Bobby said softly. "Sam's gone."

 **xxxxx**

Piper was pissed. Dean had relegated her to searching the yard, thinking that there was no way that Sam could have left the house without them knowing. He was being such a _bastard._ She knew he was scared, but he didn't get to use her as a punching bag, or treat her like she was useless.

There was a sound in the salvage yard, and Piper paused. She moved silently toward the sound, shotgun pointed at it.

She came upon Sam trying to steal a car. She cocked the gun, causing him to swing around to look at her. "No dice, Sammy," she said softly, willing her voice to be strong. "You're coming with me, okay?"

He stood and shook his head. "No."

"Sam, please," she begged. "Come on, please, just come back with me, let us help you."

He looked at her coldly, and for the second time that night, Piper felt cut off completely from one of the Winchester men. "You're not going to shoot me, Piper."

Tears gathered in her eyes. "I will if I have to, Sam. Please don't make me."

A cold smile spread across Sam's face and he stepped forward. "You won't do it, Piper. You can't."

Tears spilled down her cheeks. "Please, Sam, please, _please_ let us help you."

Sam reached out and grabbed the end of the shotgun and pointed it at his chest. "Then shoot me, Piper."

She was crying in earnest now, devastated. Where was Sam? Where was the boy who had hugged her at Christmas for a notebook? Or the guy who emailed her jokes while he was in college, because he didn't want to talk about hunting? Or the man who was going to tear the world apart when she had gone missing? Because he wasn't here. This wasn't him. This wasn't her honorary brother, her best friend, her Sam.

He examined her for a minute, then took the gun from her. She just let the butt of the gun approach, welcoming the darkness that swallowed her.

 **xxxxx**

She woke up in the white bedroom, with Loki looking at her. "Hey, precious."

She sat up and held her head in her hands. "Hi," she said softly. She had no fire left right now, no energy to fight him.

He came forward and sat next to her on the bed, placing a gentle hand on her leg. "I know this is hard, Piper. I'm sorry."

She nodded and looked up at him. "Do you know about everything? The, uh, the demon blood?"

He said nothing, just looked at her.

She felt tears in her eyes. "I don't know what to do," she whispered softly.

He slowly placed a hand on her cheek. She felt warmth and comfort sweep through her, and she tilted her head to lean into his hand. "I know, precious," he said softly. "Just… Just have faith, Piper."

She opened her eyes. "Faith in what?"

He looked at her for a long time again. "God?"

She scoffed. "No. I won't have faith in God if he lets shit like this happen to Sammy. Why isn't he interfering? This is the _apocalypse,_ and he's doing nothing. No, I don't want to have faith in a god like that."

He looked uncomfortable for a second, but didn't move his hand away from her face. "Then have faith in Dean."

She thought for a second, then nodded with a soft smile. "I can have faith in Dean. I always have faith in Dean."

He nodded and placed his palm on her head. She felt more warm comfort sweep through her, then darkness took her again.

 **xxxxx**

Dean met Bobby in the living room after searching the second floor of the house. "Anything?"

Bobby shook his head. "No. You?"

Dean shook his head, too. "Nothing. Where's Piper?"

Bobby shrugged. "Outside, still?"

Ice gripped the base of Dean's spine. It wasn't a sensation he was familiar with, but he followed his instinct and ran out the door. He didn't see anything in the front yard, and following a blind instinct, he ran into the salvage yard. That same urging told him to turn left, and he did, almost tripping over Piper's prone form.

"Piper!" he yelled, tossing his gun and dropping to his knees next to her, rolling her onto her back. "Oh, Jesus, Piper, baby? Are you okay, baby? Come on, Piper, wake up for me." He was patting her cheek gently, having rolled her onto her back.

Relief swamped him when her eyes fluttered open. "Dean?" she slurred softly.

Knowing he shouldn't, but not being able to help himself, he pulled her up into his arms, placing a hand on the back of her head. "God, Piper, are you okay? What happened?"

She slowly wrapped her arms around his waist. "Sam, Dean, he, um…"

He pulled back and looked at her, placing a hand on her cheek. "Did he do this to you? Did he hit you, Piper?" He knew that was hypocritical, God knew he had had his own fair share of hitting the beautiful woman in front of him, but the thought of Sam laying hands on her made him furious.

She nodded slowly, pain all over her face. "Yeah. But, Dean, it's not… It's not Sam. Not our Sam. Something is _wrong,_ Dean. Something is so much more wrong than we thought."

He brushed her hair away from her face. "I know, Pipes, we'll figure it out. Let's get you inside, okay?"

 **xxxxx**

When Dean came in, Piper was laying on her back on her bed. He gently shut the door behind him, then came and sat next to her, hand on her leg. "How you feelin', kitten?"

She smiled. "I'm actually okay. I think the trickster healed me."

He frowned. "He pulled you into a dream again?"

She nodded. "Yeah, he told me to have faith."

Dean snorted, irritated. "Where does he get off telling you what to do?"

She laughed softly. "I told him pretty much the same time the last time I saw him." She sobered. "He told me to have faith in _you."_

Everything in Dean stilled. He had been a dick today, and he had taken it out on her. The look of fear on her face when he'd yelled at her had killed a little part of him. "What did you say?" he asked slowly, looking away.

Her soft hand on his jaw brought his face back around, making him look at her. She smiled. "I told him that I've always had faith in you."

He looked at her, surprised that she was still surprising him. "Piper, I…"

 _Dammit._

Sadness crossed her face. "It's okay, Dean." She leaned up and kissed him gently. "I know, Dean. I know."

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**

 **Reviews, comments, and kudos give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**

 ****Hopefully you guys didn't think I was kidding when I talked about a lot of updates...**


	44. You Don't Know Me

They were standing in the salvage yard, looking over a map that was laid out on Bobby's trunk. Piper stood close to Dean to ward off the chill, smiling a little when he put his big hand on the small of her back.

Bobby came over, flipping his phone shut. "Police found my car. Abandoned in an alley in Jamestown, North Dakota."

Dean looked up. "He's switching up. Any other cars stolen in Jamestown?"

Bobby nodded. "A ninety-nine Honda Civic, blue. Nice and anonymous, like Sam likes."

Dean shook his head. "What was the other one?"

"White oh-five Escalade with custom rims. It's a neon sign."

"You're right, he'd never take that," Piper mused.

Dean nodded. "Which is exactly why he did."

Bobby cocked an eyebrow. "You think?"

"I know that kid. All right, Pipes and I will head in that direction. You stay here, ride the police databases. We gotta find him quick."

 **xxxxx**

Piper watched as Dean flipped his phone shut and glanced at her. "Bobby says we're only a couple of hours away."

She nodded. "Good."

She let the silence draw out for a while. "Dean, honey, when we find Sam…" She swallowed hard. "When we find Sam, it has to be about bringing him back, not pushing him away, okay?"

Dean's face hardened. "Yeah, yeah."

Her temper flared. "Don't you 'yeah, yeah' me, Dean Winchester. I know you're mad, and you have every right to be. But this situation is delicate, if we handle it wrong, we may lose him forever."

"I'm not going to get mad, Piper."

She actually laughed out loud. "Please, you have three total moods, Dean, and two of them are anger. I'm just saying we need to be careful. _You_ need to be careful. He won't listen to me, but… But he'll always listen to you."

 **xxxxx**

They had found the room that Sam was renting. Piper watched Sam walk out of the room. Before Dean could stop her, she slipped in.

Ruby was there. Her eyes widened as Piper approached, furious. Piper swung, and Ruby defended herself. They fought until strong hands gripped Piper's shoulders and pulled her away.

"No," Sam was saying as he lifted her. "Let her go, just take it easy."

"God dammit, Sam, let me _go!"_

"Ruby, go." He said instead, still holding Piper off the ground.

"Well, it must've been some party you two had going," Dean said from behind them. "Considering how hard you tried to keep us from crashing it. Well, solid try, but here we are."

Ruby was walking out the door, passing Piper with a smug look on her face. Piper twisted suddenly, breaking Sam's hold on her. She stepped forward and slammed Ruby against the wall, an arm at the demon's throat. "When Sammy realizes that you're not on our side, you _unbelievable bitch,"_ she snarled into the demon's face, "I am going to be the one who kills you, understand me?" Piper stepped away and let the demon scurry out of the room, smug look forgotten.

Sam sighed. "Look, let's just talk about this, guys."

Piper whirled, trying to catch Dean's eye before he spoke. He avoided her gaze. "Talk about what, Sam? She's poison, look what she's done to you! She leaves you hanging for weeks, while you're strung out and acting crazy-"

"She was looking for Lilith."

"That is French for manipulating your ass ten ways from Sunday!" Dean shouted, coming to stand next to her.

Sam shook his head. "You're wrong, guys."

Dean came around to stand in front of Piper, which she let happen. "Sam, you're lying to yourself. I just want you to be okay. You would do the same for me, you know you would."

"Just listen for a second. We got a lead on a demon close to Lilith. Come with us, Dean. We'll do this together."

Dean nodded eagerly. "That sounds great. As long as it's you and us. Demon bitch is a dealbreaker. You kiss her goodbye, we can go right now."

Sam shook his head. "I can't."

Dean turned away as Sam continued. "Dean, I need her to help me kill Lilith. I know you can't wrap your head around it, but maybe one day you'll understand. I'm the only one who can do this, Dean."

Dean turned back and shook his head. "No, you're not the one who's gonna do this."

Sam gave a derisive snort. "Right, that's right, I forgot. The angels think it's you."

Dean stiffened. Piper came forward and placed a hand on his back, standing next to him, offering support. "You don't think I can?" he asked softly.

Sam shook his head. "No, you can't. You're not strong enough."

Piper frowned. "And you are?"

Sam sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm being practical here. I'm doing what needs to be done."

"Yeah?" Dean asked. "You're not gonna do a single damn thing."

"Stop bossing me around, Dean. Look. My whole life, you take the wheel, you call the shots, and I trust you because you are my brother. Now I'm asking you, for once, trust me."

Dean shook his head. "No. You don't know what you're doing, Sam."

"Yes, I do."

Piper closed her eyes. "Guys, come on, let's not-"

"Then that's worse," Dean interrupted, glaring at Sam. "Because it's not something that you're doing, it means…" Dean turned away, not meeting Piper's or Sam's eyes.

"No." Sam said, furious. "Say it."

"It means you're a monster." Dean finished. Piper fought the tears trying to come into her eyes, losing that battle when she saw both brothers had tears in theirs.

She gasped when Sam pushed her away and punched Dean in the face. Dean flew back and hit the floor. "Sam!" she cried, approaching Dean.

He stood and pushed her away, too, gentler than Sam had been. He hit Sam back.

The fought the way that only the Winchesters could fight with each other. They flew across the room, both bleeding and battered and neither one backing down. Finally, Sam had Dean pinned down, his hands wrapped around his brother's neck.

"Sam! Stop it," Piper snapped coming forward and pushing Sam off of Dean.

Dean lay his head back against the ground for a second as Sam stood. "You don't know me," Sam snarled. "You never did. And you never will."

Piper stood and grabbed his arm. "Sam, don't go, let's-"

He turned and backhanded her. His hand was huge, it was like being hit with an oar. She gasped and stepped back, trying desperately to blink back tears and deal with the pain. Sam had never once hit her, but in the last two days he had done it twice. "Sam…"

He looked at her coldly, until Dean stood and gently pulled Piper behind him. She saw a flash of the hot fury in Dean's eyes. "We can still make this right, Sam," he said softly, dangerously. "But you walk out that door… Don't you ever come back."

Sam left.

 **xxxxx**

They were in Bobby's living room, and Piper was furious again. "Dean, are you listening to a word I've said?"

He held the package of ice to her face, avoiding her gaze. She glared into his beautiful green eyes. "I'm not calling him, Piper."

She stood and pushed his hand away from her face. "God _dammit,_ Dean! You're so stubborn, both of you, and you can't see that this is a mistake! You can't see that you're stronger together, you've _always_ been stronger together!"

He stood and glared at her. "Piper, armageddon is here, you don't think we have bigger fish to fry?"

"There will never be bigger fish to fry than the two of you!" She screeched, slamming her hands down on the table. "You two are never going to be able to stop this if you don't patch things up, Dean."

He shook his head. "I told him, Piper. He _hit_ you, Piper. I told him that if he walked out, he shouldn't come back, and he walked out anyway."

"You sound like your father Dean," she said softly, angry beyond belief. "You have always, _always,_ been better than John was. And he was a coward."

Dean stiffened. "A coward, Pipes? Dad was a lot of things-"

"Including a coward," she snapped. "He let Sam walk away rather than reaching out. He let him walk away all the way to Stanford. You gonna do the same thing? You going to let him go down this path alone?"

He shook his head again. "Piper-"

"No, stop it, Dean," she said softly. She came around the table and looked into his face. _God, he really is beautiful._ "I don't want to fight with you. We're a team, and this is crunch time. I love you, but you're wrong about this, and you know that." She put a hand on his cheek, smiling a little when he placed the ice pack against her bruised face again. "Dean, Sam is your brother. You can say whatever you want, but he's the most important person in your life. You can say that he's not your family anymore, but you know that he is. So just… Stop. Let's not argue, let's just go find our Sammy."

She saw the smile in his eyes before he disappeared, the ice pack falling to the floor.

 **xxxxx**

" _Castiel! Get your feathery ass down here right this second!"_

Piper was standing in the middle of the yard, screaming. She felt unhinged, unable to put herself back together. Dean had disappeared, and she had lost it.

Her hair was wild around her face, and she ran a hand through it to push it back. "Castiel, you motherfucker, I know you can hear me. If you don't come down here and tell me where you took Dean, I will find a way to tear you apart. I'm going to have a lot of time on my hands without the boys distracting me, Castiel, I will _find a way."_

"Why are you shouting at me, Piper Finley? There are more important things in the world than your boyfriend."

She whirled around and punched him in the face. She felt her hand break, but her fury overrode her pain. "No, there really aren't, you son of a bitch. Where is he?"

Cass was frowning at her. "You and Dean are very well-matched. I cannot tell you where he is."

" _Can_ not, or _will_ not?"

He met her eyes. "Piper, this is important. This is the end times."

She examined him for a second, her mind becoming crystal clear as it whirled. "Oh, my God," she whispered, taking a step back from him, her hand covering her mouth. "Oh, my God, you aren't trying to stop it. You took Dean so he wouldn't stop Sam. What is Sam about to do? _What are you bastards making Sam do?"_

Guilt and uncertainty flashed in his eyes before they hardened. "That is not something I can discuss with you, Piper Finley." He stepped forward and pressed two fingers to her forehead as he spoke. "The three of you are under the impression that you're more important than the world. You're not." His fingers were gentle despite his tone, and warm healing spread over her face and down to her hand.

She looked at him for a moment. "Cass," she said softly, placing a hand on his arm. "It's not about being more important than the world. I know Sam and Dean aren't more important than the world. It's just…" She swallowed the tears that were threatening to come up back. "It's just that they _are_ my world. They're my everything, and now you've taken both of them away from me. Please, please, _please,_ Castiel, I am downright begging you." Quickly, she got to her knees in front of him, her hand still on his arm. "Tell me where the Winchesters are. If you won't let us save the world, let me save my world."

 **xxxxx**

Dean was pacing, he didn't know what to do. He looked around at the angelic green room he was in. He had tried everything he could think of to get out, and now he was just cooling his heels until those winged dickbags let him go.

Suddenly, small hands gripped his shoulders and spun him, and his mind went blank with shock as Piper slammed him against the wall and pressed her hand to his mouth. He nodded at her, and she let go to watch Castiel run a knife across his forearm and start smearing blood on the wall quickly.

Zachariah appeared just as quickly behind them. "Castiel! Would you mind explaining just what the hell you're doing?"

Castiel slammed his hand into the center of the sigil he'd drawn on the wall. A huge flash of white light blinded Dean for a moment, and when he looked around, Zachariah was gone.

Castiel looked at Piper. "He won't be gone long. We have to find Sam now."

"Where is he?" she asked quickly, grabbing Dean's hand and pulling him towards the angel.

Cass shook his head. "I don't know. But I know who does." He looked at Dean. "We have to stop him, Dean, from killing Lilith."

Dean frowned. "But Lilith's gonna break the final seal."

Cass shook his head and took Piper's outstretched hand. "Lilith is the final seal. She dies, the end begins."

The world spun away from Dean as Cass transported them away.

 **xxxxx**

"St. Mary's? What is that, a convent?" Dean asked, looking at Chuck.

Chuck nodded. "Yeah, but you guys aren't supposed to be there. You're not in this story.

"Well, we're making it up as we go," Piper said shortly, meeting Cass's eyes.

The ground started to rumble beneath them, and the lights began flickering. A huge white light started shining into the windows. Dean reached out and grasped Piper's hand, pulling her to him.

Chuck groaned. "Oh, man! Not again! No!"

Cass looked at Piper and she saw panic and fierce determination in his blue eyes. "It's the Archangel! Go! I'll hold him off!"

He put his hand on Piper's forehead, the other on Dean's, and the world spun away from them again.

 **xxxxx**

They landed in a huge stone building, Dean assumed it was the convent where Sam was. Piper squeezed his hand and pointed down a hallway. He nodded and they ran down.

They came around the corner to see Sam at the far end of the hallway, in a room with Ruby and Lilith. Sam was holding his hand out, and Lilith was being held by his powers against the altar. Ruby looked back and smirked at them, then closed the door slowly.

They ran and Dean pounded his hands against the closed doors. "Sam! Sam!" Piper did the same next to him.

There was no sound, but there was a rumbling. A terrible aura of power was bleeding out from the doors, making the hair on the back of Dean's neck stand straight up. "Sam! Sam!"

"Sam!" Piper was screaming on the other side of the door. "Sam! Don't kill her! Sam! _Lilith is the last seal!"_

He wasn't listening. Dean turned and looked around wildly, his eyes resting on a huge iron candelabra in the room, he grabbed it, pulled Piper away from the door, and started hitting it.

The aura of bad power abruptly stopped. Dean paused, then continued trying to beat his way in. Soon after, a different kind of power started emanating from the doorway. A more sinister power, a more subtle power. Dean had a very bad feeling that it was an fallen archangel's power.

Finally, finally he broke through. His blood ran cold when he saw Lilith, dead on the floor, her blood spreading in strange markings. He turned when he felt Piper pull the demon-killing knife from his belt and advance on Ruby, fire in her eyes.

Ruby smirked. "You're too late."

"Not for this, you lying skank," Piper snarled. Sam grabbed Ruby's arms from behind, holding her in place for Piper to run her through with the knife. Ruby crumpled to the floor, dead.

Sam looked at Piper, devastation on his face. "I'm sorry, Pipe," he whispered brokenly.

She was looking at him, and Dean wanted them to have their moment, but the blood coming from Lilith had completed its symbol, and was starting to glow. The room around them started to tremble.

"Guys, let's go." He came forward and grabbed Piper's hand to pull her away.

Sam grabbed her other hand, and Piper pulled Dean gently. "Oh, God… He's coming."

White light started spreading through the room, emanating from the center of the symbol in front of them. Dean grabbed Piper and turned, shielding her from the light. She looked up at him, fear etched on her face.

He couldn't stand it. _Dammit,_ they were going to die, and she was never going to know how much he loved her. He tried to put all the words he'd been too stupidly afraid to say into the kiss he pressed against her lips. He was prepared to die, but only if she was in his arms and her mouth was against his.

As white light spread around them, Dean was finally able to think the words.

 _I love you, Piper Finley._

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**

 **Reviews, comments, and kudos give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 ****Thank you to _Kornerstone234,_ _seaschell, AngelRoze, jessicamarie6509, Kylie Winchester,_ and _Blue Boxes and Vampire Fangs_ for the follows and favorites!**


	45. Whatever You Say

_A huge red devil leans over an open book, flames licking the sides of the huge stone alter the book rests upon. "What the devil is your name?"_

The small man in the comically huge cowboy hat stutters, "Sa-Sa-Sa-Sa-Yo-Yosemite Sam."

"Yosemite Sam!" the devil exclaims, eyebrows going up.

Dean looked around, completely dumbfounded. They weren't dead. They weren't in the convent. Lucifer wasn't here. It looked like… They were on a plane?

Piper was sitting next to him, looking a little dazed. He looked over her head at Sam, who looked just as confused as Dean felt. "What the fuck?"

Sam shook his head. "I don't know."

The intercom buzzed. "Folks, quick word from the flight deck. We're just passing over Ilchester, then Ellicott City, on our initial descent into Baltimore-"

Dean frowned. "Ilchester? Weren't we just there?"

The pilot continued. "So, if you'd like to stretch your legs, now would be a good time to-"

A massive column of white light shot into the air from the ground below them. Piper screamed a little as the plane was thrown off-kilter. Dean threw an arm over her middle to keep her in her seat as oxygen masks dropped down in front of them.

"Holy crap!" the pilot shouted.

A few moments later, though Dean would swear for the rest of his life that it was much longer than that, the plane evened out.

"Nothing to worry about, people," the pilot said over the intercom. "We've got everything under control."

Dean watched flight attendants rush up and down the aisles, helping people put the oxygen masks back, assuring people that panic wasn't necessary. _My ass,_ he thought distrustfully.

Suddenly, small, warm hands were pressed into his chest and running down his arms. He looked down to see Piper frantically touching him, checking for injuries. Her hands moved down his stomach, then down to his legs. She nodded, apparently convinced he was okay.

Dean was struck by her, and before she could turn to check on Sam, he placed a hand on her face to bring it to his. Her soft whimper spurred him on, and he kissed her hard, trying to put everything he felt for her into his lips pressed against hers.

But when he released her, he wasn't satisfied. He had thought they were done for, and the last thing he had wished was that she had heard those words from him.

She was _everything._ She was his _one_ good thing. She was the most beautiful creature who had ever walked the earth, as far as Dean was concerned. And she was looking up at him with those hypnotic eyes, worry and love shining through them.

And all of his fear dissipated. She needed to know.

"I… I love you," he husked, gazing into her face, his heart pounding in his chest.

Her breath caught, and her eyes widened. Dean didn't even have time to start to get nervous before her face broke into a grin. "I love you, too, Dean," she said softly. "More than anything."

 **xxxxx**

Piper felt dread settle in her stomach when she looked at Chuck's house. It was _destroyed._ "No," she whispered, jumping out of the Impala and running toward the house.

"Piper! Dammit!" She ignored Dean's shouts to sprint through the door.

She looked around warily, listening for any movement. The only warning she had that Chuck was behind her was a soft scuff. She whirled and grabbed the plunger in his hands away from him. "God dammit, Chuck," she snapped. "What the hell are you doing?"

He looked shocked to see her. "Piper." His eyes flicked behind her. "Sam. Dean."

"Yes," she gritted out. Dean put a calming hand on her hip and guided her back against him gently so he could wrap that arm around her waist.

Chuck was staring at Sam. "You're okay."

Dean chuckled darkly behind her. "Hey, Chuck."

Sam looked at the writer. "I mean, the apocalypse and all-"

Chuck shook his head. "No, I mean, I mean, my… My last vision. You went, like, full-on Vader. Your body temperature was one-fifty. Your heart rate was two hundred. Your eyes were black."

Piper had truly believed she was beyond surprise at this point. She was wrong.

Apparently, Dean wasn't past being surprised, either. She felt rather than saw him turn to his brother. "Your eyes went black?"

Sam sounded unsure. "I didn't know."

Piper sighed. "Chuck, where's Cass?"

Chuck looked at her sympathetically. "He's dead. Or gone. The archangel smote the crap out of him. I'm sorry."

Grief tore it's way through Piper's heart. She put a hand over her mouth and leaned back into Dean's chest when he wrapped his other around her, hugging her tightly to him.

"You're sure?" Dean asked softly. "I mean, maybe he just vanished into the light or something."

Chuck's eyes flicked to Piper, then went back to Dean. "Uh, no. He, like… Exploded. Like a water balloon of chunky soup."

Her shoulders heaved and Dean pressed his lips to her hair. "Jesus," he muttered softly.

Sam motioned to his own left ear, wincing. "You got a-"

Chuck's hand flew to his right ear. "Right here?"

Sam motioned to the other side. Chuck reached up and felt his hair. "Oh. Oh, God." He pulled something out. "Is that a molar? It is. Do I have a molar in my hair?" He looked up at Dean. "This has been a really stressful day."

"Oh, God, Cass, you stupid, beautiful angel," Piper whispered.

Sam turned to look at her. "Stupid? He was helping us."

"Exactly," Dean snapped.

Sam shifted guiltily. "So, what now?"

Dean shrugged behind her. "I don't know."

"Oh, crap," Chuck groaned.

"What?"

"I can feel them."

Zachariah appeared behind them. "I thought we'd find you here."

Dean whirled, pushing Piper back behind him.

Zachariah smiled at Dean. "Playtime's over, Dean. Time to come with us."

Dean glared and pointed at the angel. "You just keep your distance, asshat." Piper peered over Dean's shoulder at the angel, wondering darkly if he had something to do with what had happened to Castiel.

Zachariah held his hands up. "You're upset."

"Yeah, a little," Dean snapped. "You sons of bitches jump-started judgment day!"

Zachariah shook his head. "Maybe we let it happen, but we didn't start anything. Right, Sammy?" Zachariah turned and winked at Sam. Piper growled in the back of her throat.

Zachariah turned back to Dean. "You had a chance to stop your brother, and you couldn't. So let's not quibble over who started what. Let's just say it was all our faults and move on. 'Cause like it or not, it's Apocalypse Now. And we're on the same team again!"

"Is that so?" Dean asked murderously.

Zachariah pointed at Dean. "You want to kill the devil," he pointed them at himself. "We want you to kill the devil. It's… Synergy."

Piper scoffed from behind Dean. "And we're just supposed to trust you?"

Dean nodded. "Yeah, go ahead and cram it with walnuts, ugly."

Zachariah's face darkened. "This isn't a game, kids. Lucifer is powerful in ways that defy description. We need to strike now, hard and fast, before he finds his vessel."

Sam frowned. "His vessel? Lucifer needs a meat suit?"

Ice touched the base of Piper's spine. This wasn't going to end peacefully. Thinking carefully, and moving very slowly, she pulled the knife out of Dean's waist band and ran it along her arm, swallowing her hiss of pain. If he noticed, he didn't make any indication. She slowly started smearing the blood on the wall next to her as the angel spoke.

Zachariah shrugged. "He is an angel. Them's the rules. And when he touches down, we're talking Four Horsemen, red oceans, fiery skies, the greatest hits. You can stop him, Dean, but you need our help."

"Listen," Dean snarled, "You two-faced douche. After what you did, I don't want jack squat from you!"

Zachariah stepped forward. "You listen to me, boy! You think you can rebel against us? As Lucifer did?"

Piper stepped forward to stand next to Dean, making sure her dripping hand was clearly visible. Zachariah zeroed in on it. "You're bleeding."

She smiled. "Oh, yeah. Little insurance policy, in case you bastards showed up." She slammed her hand on the sigil she'd drawn on the wall.

Everyone flinched as Zachariah vanished in a burst of white light. Piper's smile became fierce. "Learned that from my good friend, Castiel, you son of a bitch."

Chuck groaned and moved to sit on his couch. "This sucks ass."

 **xxxxx**

They pulled into the motel, none of them saying a word. Piper went inside and booked two rooms for them. She wasn't going to make them talk to each other, not yet, not when she could barely speak herself.

She walked outside, keys in hand, to see Sam leaning against the hood, his bag next to him, and Dean leaning against the driver's side door, looking down. She walked forward and handed one of the keys to Sam. "This one's you, Sammy."

The pain etched on his face tugged at her heart. "Separate room?" he asked softly.

She nodded. "I think it's probably best."

He seemed to gather himself. "Piper, I'm so-"

She put a finger against his lips and smiled. "Shh, Sammy, I know." She sighed deeply, looking into those big brown eyes. "I know you were lied to, Sam," she said softly. "I know that bitch manipulated you, and played on your pride to get you to do… What you did." She stepped forward and went up on tiptoe to wrap her arms around his neck, smiling when he wrapped his around her waist and hugged her tight.

"We're okay, Sammy," she whispered into his ear. "I forgive you, and I love you, and we're okay. But Dean is going to need some time."

She came back down and patted his chest. "Go on, Sammy, go get some rest. Call if you need anything."

Sam nodded, grabbed his duffle, and walked away.

Piper turned and walked over to Dean. She sensed that he was on edge, so she just leaned against Baby next to him. "Hey, you," she said softly, looking over at him.

He didn't look up. "Hey, kitten. Sammy set up?"

"Yep," she said with a nod. "Let's go, baby."

 **xxxxx**

Dean followed Piper toward their room, absentmindedly appreciating the curve of her ass as she pulled him toward the door.

Everything was just… Too much. Sammy lied to him. Lucifer had risen. Cass had died. And he had finally gotten up the balls to tell Piper.

Too much.

She opened the door and pulled him inside. As soon as the door was shut, his mind went blank, looking at her long hair, the elegant curve of her legs, the fullness of her lips.

 _Mine._

He stepped forward as soon as she turned around and placed his hands on her hips, pushing her back against the door. With a soft sigh, she submitted, satisfying his possessive need for control by wrapping her arms around his neck and running her fingers through the short hair at his nape.

He paused and pressed his forehead against hers, their ragged breathing the only sound he could hear. He didn't want to take her like he usually did, he didn't want to control her. Well, okay, yes, yes he did want to control her, but he wanted to show her how much she meant to him. And he couldn't do that if he kept slamming the poor woman up against walls and kissing her breathless.

"Dean, it's okay," she said softly, and he opened his eyes to find her looking at him. The heat in her gaze made everything low in him clench hard, and he was having a hard time breathing again. "Dean, it's okay, I don't want to go slow tonight." She leaned up and ran her teeth along his jaw, sending tension down through him. "Don't worry about it, baby," she whispered against his skin. "Let's just forget today."

He groaned, fighting with himself, fighting to give her everything she needed.

She grabbed his wrist and guided his hand up to cup her breast, where his thumb automatically ran over her hardening nipple. "Please, Dean," she begged softly, "I want you."

His control snapped, and he looked down at her slowly, his other hand pulling her hips tight against his. He smiled, watching her eyes darken with lust. "Whatever you say, kitten," he husked, then sent his lips crashing down onto hers.

 **xxxxx**

He took her there, against the door, making her scream.

 **xxxxx**

He took her in the bed later, taking his time, worshipping her with his hands and mouth.

 _God, I love you._

 ** _xxxxx_**

He took her in the shower, her raspy, over-used voice calling out his name, echoing off of the tiles surrounding them.

 **xxxxx**

Once Dean had reduced her to a quivering, speechless heap, he finally let them go to bed. Piper was in pajamas, exhausted, staring at him. He was looking back, both of them too tired for words.

The world was going to shit, and Piper knew it. Tomorrow was going to be hard, facing Sammy, facing the world. And the next day was going to be hard. And every day until they cleaned up the mess presented to them.

But for now, Dean was looking at her like she was the only important thing in the world.

She smiled and moved forward to nestle her head under his chin, flinging an arm around his waist. "I love you," she whispered, already falling asleep.

"You, too, Pipes," his voice rumbled in her ear as she drifted off to sleep.

And for now, that voice in her ear was enough for Piper.

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**

 **Reviews, comments, and kudos give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**

 ****Guys, I have been waiting for this chapter since I started writing this fanfic. I knew exactly when I wanted Dean to finally say it. I love this chapter, so let me know what you think!**

 ****Also, I'm sorry there's not more smut. The muse wasn't feelin' Dean and Piper fucking like bunnies in great detail after Lucifer rises.**


	46. Just Keep the Faith

Piper woke up in the white bedroom. Before she could get her bearings, Loki had swept her into his arms, crushing her to his chest.

She laughed softly and wrapped her arms hesitantly around his waist. "Um, hi."

He leaned back. "Precious, are you all right? What happened? How did you guys get out of that convent?"

She examined his frightened hazel eyes. "Hey, I'm okay. I have no idea how we got on the plane, but I'm all right."

He crushed her to him again, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "Good."

She chuckled against his chest, feeling inexplicably safe and warm in his embrace. "I thought you didn't like humans."

He put a hand on the back of her head, keeping her close. "Only you, Piper Finley. I don't know why, but I only like you."

 **xxxxx**

Dean woke up slowly, fighting it a little. He was warm, he could sense sunlight pouring through a window, and he had a warm Piper curled against him, her head resting on his chest. He wanted to wallow in it for a while.

Unfortunately, he couldn't stay asleep. So he opened his eyes and turned to gaze down at Piper's head. Her hair, midway between the bright violet that symbolized freshly dyed and the silvery lavender hue that meant she hadn't done in it for a while, was spilled messing over her shoulder. Her breathing was slow and steady, peaceful.

 _Finally said it._ He felt lighter than he had, and he felt heavier at the same time. She knew, but now, of course, she _knew._ He was no longer just some guy she was sleeping with. He was the man who was in love with her.

A flutter of panic wormed its way into his heart. How could he protect her? How could he make sure she was safe? She was a _hunter._ She would never let him put her somewhere, let him set her up to be safe somewhere away from the shitstorm that was his life.

"Dean, whatever you're freaking out about, stop it, because I'm still sleepy."

Despite himself, he chuckled. "Sorry, baby, just thinking."

She lifted her head to gaze at him. "Stop it. Five more minutes. Five more minutes of us, okay?"

He hauled her up to him so her face was level with his. "Whatever you say, kitten." He studied her lovely, sleepy, hazel eyes. "It's _always_ whatever you say, kitten."

She smiled. "Mmm, good boyfriend." She kissed him softly.

He turned them so he was leaning over her, one hand trailing down her soft skin. He slipped his hand between her legs, finding her already warm and wet. He leaned back and cocked an eyebrow. "Already wet for me, Pipes?"

She smiled and ran a hand down his chest to wrap around his cock. "Already, handsome, always."

He shifted again and settled himself between her legs, laying burning kisses down her neck. "Oh, Dean," she sighed softly.

"Mmm, I like it when you say my name," he murmured against her skin, moving his hand down to move through her slick folds.

"Dean," she moaned, smiling a little, arching herself into his hand. "Dean, please, take me," she begged breathlessly as he put pressure on her clit, moving in tight little circles.

He smiled against her neck, nipping gently at the mark he'd left there last night. "I like it when you beg, too, kitten," he whispered in her ear. "Ask me again, baby." He slipped a finger into her slowly, curving it to hit that electric spot in her.

She gasped, arching her back again. "Oh, God, Dean, _please_ take me."

He shook his head, running his tongue along the shell of her ear. "You're going to need to get specific, Piper," he purred.

She was writhing underneath him, it was enchanting. "Dean, please, baby, I want you inside me, please, _fuck me."_

He pulled his fingers out, lined himself up with her entrance, and thrust into her hard. He paused, his head resting on her shoulder, letting them both adjust for a moment.

She started moving again underneath him, rolling her hips and biting his shoulder gently. "Dean, _please,_ Christ."

He chuckled. "Yes, ma'am."

He moved slowly, lovingly, worshipping her again. He put everything he felt, all of his devotion and love, into making sure that part of her lovely form was left unappreciated. He hummed against her ear, lay burning kisses along her collarbone, sucked a nipple into his mouth and teased her.

"Oh, God, Dean!" He she cried out, clenching around him. He moaned and picked up the pace, moving inside her through her orgasm and sending her spiralling toward the next one.

He was close. "Look at me, Piper."

She gasped and opened her eyes to follow his order. The lust blown hazel sent him over the edge.

He moved a hand down, and as soon as he touched her, she came apart beneath him again. He came hard, biting down on her shoulder and growling as he did.

He stayed on top of her as they came down, loving the feeling of her soft body pressed against his. He lifted his head and grinned lazily at her. "Shower, kitten?"

 **xxxxx**

Sam had just gotten out of the shower when Piper knocked at the door. "Sammy? Breakfast."

He smiled and finished buttoning his shirt on his way to let her in. When he opened the door, she was smiling and holding up a bakery bag. "Dean's bringing the coffee from the car," she said, moving past him and into the room.

He watched her with a half smile. She was in her typical tank top and tight jeans, but she had what he could only assume was one of Dean's flannel shirts on over everything. Her hair was pulled back into a braid, there was a hickey on her neck, and she looked… Happy.

"Mornin'," Dean said gruffly, walking into the room a few beats after Piper. He walked to stand next to her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head as she arranged breakfast on the table for the three of them. "Should have gotten doughnuts," he said to Piper.

She rolled her eyes up at him. "Dean, doughnuts are purely sugar. You'd just be hungry again in an hour."

"I'm going to be hungry again in an hour anyway." She laughed softly.

Sam closed the door and watched them for a moment, enthralled. They moved together and apart like a dance, like they'd done it a million times before. He didn't even think they were aware of how they shifted and moved to accommodate one another. They moved like a team, and they _were_ one.

A team that he was no longer a part of. Sam had rarely felt so lonely.

Piper must have sensed it, because she turned and hit him with a mega-watt smile. "Muffin, Sammy?"

He smiled a little at her. "Sure."

She brought him one and went up on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek. "We're gonna be all right, Sammy, try to keep the faith," she whispered, then she went back down and turned to Dean. "Okay, where do we go from here?"

Dean held his arm out and she went to let him sling his arm around her shoulders. "I don't know, Pipes. I mean, where do we even begin?"

Sam started, guilt washing through him. He went to his bag and pulled out the hex bags. "Here. Hex bags. No way the angels will find us with those. Demons, either, for that matter."

Dean examined it, then him. Sam fought the urge to squirm. "Where'd you get it?"

"I made it."

Piper tilted her head. "How?"

Sam didn't really want to answer that question. He fought with himself for a moment. God, he felt so guilty, guilt didn't even begin to cover the way he felt.

He had been silent enough that both of them were staring at him now. "I, uh… I learned it from Ruby."

Piper's face tightened, and Dean nodded. "Speaking of, how you doing? Are you jonesing for another hit of bitch blood, or what?"

Sam shook his head. "It, it's weird. Tell you the truth, I'm fine. No shakes, no fever. It's like whoever… Put us on that plane, cleaned me right up."

"Supernatural methadone.:

Sam nodded. "Yeah, I guess." He let a beat of silence pass. "Guys-"

Dean shook his head and turned away. "It's okay, Sam. You don't have to say anything."

Sam scoffed. "Well, that's good. Because what can I even say? 'I'm sorry?' 'I screwed up?' Deosn't really do it justice, you know? Look, there's nothing I can do or say that will ever make this right-"

"Then why do you keep bringing it up?" Dean snapped.

"Dean," Piper said softly, a hand on his arm. "Dean, come on."

He looked down at her. "Look, all I'm saying is, why do we have to put this under a microscope? We made a mess. We clean it up. That's it."

Piper nodded, then looked at Sam. He nodded, too.

She sighed. "All right, so, let's treat this like any other hunt. What do we do first?"

They were interrupted from answering her by a knock on the door. Dean pulled a gun from his waistband, and Piper moved to the other side of the door, motioning for Sam to answer it.

When he opened the door, a woman who looked approximately sixteen years old stood there, hyperventilating. He frowned. "You okay, lady?"

"Sam… Is it really you?"

He looked back at Dean and Piper, brow furrowed. Dean was frowning, and Piper looked confused.

A small hand on his chest brought his attention back to the woman at the door. "And you're so firm," she said reverently.

"Uh, do I know you?"

She pulled her hand away. "No, but I know you. You're Sam Winchester. And you're-" she looked at Dean. "Not what I expected. I'm Becky." She frowned. "Where's Piper?"

Piper came around the corner with a smile. "Hi, I'm Piper. Can I guess that you're a fan of the Supernatural novels?"

The woman's eyes were wide as she took Piper in. "Your hair… Isn't black."

Piper laughed. "It is not, you're right."

"I read all about you guys. And I've even written a few-" She giggled and looked down, and Sam had a feeling what she was about to say was not something he wanted to hear. "Anyway," she said cheerfully. "Mr. Edlund told me where you were."

Dean stood and came up to stand next to Piper. "Chuck?"

Sam ushered Becky in and closed the door behind her. "He's got a message," she was saying. "But he's being watched. Angels. Nice change-up to the mythology, by the way. The demon stuff was getting kind of old."

Piper rolled her eyes. "Right, what's the message?"

Becky was still staring at Sam. "He had a vision. 'The Michael Sword is on earth. The angels lost it.'"

Dean's eyebrows went up. "The Michael sword?"

Sam looked down at the woman in front of him. "Becky, does he know where it is?"

She nodded eagerly. "In a castle, on a hill made of forty-two dogs."

Piper blinked. "Forty-two dogs?"

Sam looked at Becky. "Are… You sure you got that right?"

She nodded again. "It doesn't make sense, but that's what he said." She stepped forward and put her hand on his chest again. "I memorized every word. For you."

Sam was uncomfortable. "Um, Becky… Can, uh… Can you quit touching me?"

Piper laughed out loud when Becky refused.

 **xxxxx**

When the knock at the door sounded, Piper bounded out of her chair and answered it. "Bobby!" she shouted happily, flinging her arms around him.

His arms came around and held her close. "Hey, Piper, glad you kids are okay."

She let go and grinned at him, moving out of the way so Dean could come up and hug Bobby. "Hey, Bobby." Sam came up next, slapping Bobby on the back.

Piper closed the door behind the men. "You weren't followed, were you?"

"You mean by angels, demons, or Sam's new superfan?" Bobby asked with a chuckle.

Sam laughed. "You heard."

"I heard, Romeo. So… Sword of Michael, huh?"

Dean nodded. "You think we're talking about the actual sword from the actual archangel?"

Bobby was pulling a book out of his bag and putting it on the table. "You better friggin' hope so. Michael looks like a winged woman and the other angels like naked babies with wings."

Bobby pointed at a picture in the book. The three of them crowded around him, and Piper leaned a little into Dean, who wrapped an arm around her and put his hand on her waist. "That's Michael," Bobby was saying. "Toughest son of a bitch they got."

Dean snorted. "You kidding me? Tough? That guy looks like Cate Blanchett." Piper laughed.

Bobby shot them both a look. "Well, I wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley, believe me. He commands the heavenly host. During the last big dust-up upstairs, he's the one who booted Lucifer's ass to the basement. Did it with that sword. So if we can find it…"

Sam was nodding. "We can kick the devil's ass all over again. All right. So, where do we start?"

Bobby handed books to each of them. "Divvy up and start reading. Try to make sense of Chuck's nonsense."

Sam stared at the book in Bobby's hand, and sympathy rose in Piper. "Kid?" Bobby asked. "You all right?"

The look on Sam's face had Piper walking away from Dean and approaching him to put a hand on Sam's arm. "No, actually," Sam said softly. "Bobby, this is all my fault. I'm sorry."

"Sam," Dean said warningly.

Sam ignored him. "Lilith didn't break the final seal. Lilith _was_ the final seal."

"Sam, stop it," Dean snapped, coming up to stand next to Piper. She gave him a quelling frown.

"I killed her," Sam continued, "and I set Lucifer free."

The look on Bobby's face sent disquiet down Piper's spine. She frowned. "You what?" Bobby asked.

The pain in Sam's voice hand her coming forward to wrap an arm around his waist. "You guys warned me about Ruby, the demon blood, but I didn't listen. I brought this on."

"Bobby glared at Sam. "You're damn right you didn't listen. You were reckless and selfish and arrogant."

Sam winced, and Piper frowned, her unease growing. "I'm sorry, Bobby," Sam said softly.

"Oh yeah? You're sorry you started Armageddon? This kind of thing don't get forgiven, boy. If, by some miracle, we pull this off… I want you to lose my number. You understand me?"

Piper was shocked, then incensed. Bobby would never. She shoved Sam back behind her quickly. "Christo!"

Bobby's eyes flashed back, and Piper snarled. _"Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus-"_

He punched her hard in the face, cutting off the exorcism. "Piper!" Dean shouted, rushing forward.

The door burst open and three other demons rushed in. One of them grabbed Sam and tossed him across the room, and one grabbed Dean and pulled his arms behind him.

Bobby swung again at Piper, hitting her on the other side of the face. She cried out, and put her arm up to defend herself from the next attack. She kept blocking his blows, but couldn't bring herself to hit him back. It was _Bobby._ " _Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus,  
omnis satanica potestas-"_

He punched her in the stomach, catching her off-guard and cutting off her second attempt at an exorcism. The breath vacated her body, and she was struggling to breathe when he spoke.

"You know, surrogate Daddy is tired of your bullshit, little girl," the demon taunted. "I can hear everything. He wishes he had beat you when he had the chance, maybe you'd be a little more obedient." Her stomach rolled when it grabbed her and shoved her against the wall. "Maybe he would have gotten a little bit more than a 'thanks' for putting up with your whiny ass."

Tears gathered in Piper's eyes and she struggled against the thing's hold around her throat. She still couldn't bring herself to hit him.

"Hey!" a voice that Piper didn't recognize shouted, and she turned to see a woman with long black hair toss the demon-killing knife to the thing possessing Bobby. "Would you get rid of her already? We've got bigger problems."

He caught the knife and turned back to Piper. "Just having a little fun." He raised the knife.

Piper's tears spilled over. "Bobby, I'm sorry," she whispered.

The thing paused, and the black faded from Bobby's eyes. His shocked, sorrowed eyes met hers before he drove the knife into himself.

" _No!"_ Piper cried, falling to her knees as the lights flashed through Bobby's body and he fell. "Bobby, Bobby, come on, please!"

She heard Sam, Dean, and the woman speaking back and forth, but she tuned it out to put her hand against Bobby's face. "Bobby, please, stay awake for me, we'll get you to a hospital, we can do this, just stay awake for me."

She didn't jump when Dean's hand came down on her shoulder. "Come on, Pipes, let's get him to the hospital."

 **xxxxx**

"Piper, Dean thinks he knows what Chuck's clue was about. We're going to go check it out."

Piper was sitting next to Bobby in his hospital bed, her elbows on the bed, and she wouldn't take her eyes off of her father figure. She hadn't taken them off of him the entire time they'd been here. "Okay. Be safe."

There was silence. "Pipe, I'm-"

"If you say you're sorry again, Winchester, I will shoot you," she said softly. "This wasn't your fault, Sam. Bobby's a hunter. Hunters get hurt. That's all."

"Okay, Piper." Sam came forward and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

She sensed Dean come in before he placed a hand on the back of her head, smoothing her hair down. He stood next to her, and she leaned against his leg, wrapping an arm around that leg. "Oh, Dean," she said softly.

"Hey, we'll be all right, Pipes, just keep the faith," Dean said calmly, smoothing her hair softly. "We'll be back as soon as we can, okay?"

She nodded. "Okay, baby." She finally took her eyes away from Bobby to look up at Dean's handsome face. _Years later, through tragedy and apocalypses, he still makes my heartbeat faster._ She leaned her face up, and he leaned down to kiss her softly. "Be careful, Dean."

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**

 **Reviews give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 ****All righty, I have questions for you guys! I plan on going pretty in-depth on quite a few episodes of S5, but S6 and S7 are some of my least favorite seasons. I have some plans for Purgatory, but really nothing else until S8 and S9. So, my question is this: If I skip most of S6 & S7, just do a couple of key episodes here and there, would that be all right by you guys? Or do you want in-depth, like the rest of this fic has been? Let me know! Love you, beautiful readers.**


	47. This is Going to Hurt

Only the sound of wings alerted Piper that someone else was in Bobby's hospital room.

She twirled, pulling the gun from her waistband and putting herself between Bobby's sleeping form and the place she'd heard the noise. It took a few moments for her to register who was standing in front of her.

She put the gun on the bed and flung herself into the man's arms. " _Castiel!"_

He caught her, his body unyielding as she squeezed her arms around his neck. "Oh, God, Cass, I thought you were dead!" She leaned back and put her hands on his face. "What happened? How are you alive? Are you okay?"

His hands had come to rest on her hips, more to catch her than to hold her. He was looking at her, surprised. "I'm fine, Piper."

She examined him. "How the hell are you alive, wings? Chuck said you got vaporized!"

He seemed to hesitate, then ignored her question completely. "This is going to hurt."

He placed a hand on her chest, over her heart, and a burning sensation wrapped through her torso. The pain took her breath away, and she just gasped.

He looked… Upset. "I am sorry, Piper. It was needed."

She looked at him, pain fading from her body to leave a gentle ache. "What was that?"

"It will hide you from angels." He stepped back. "We will see one another soon."

" _Wait!"_ She flung herself into his arms again, burying her face into his neck. "I'm glad you're okay, wings," she said softly.

His arms came around her slowly, and then she was being crushed against him. "I, too… I am glad you are well, Piper Finley," he said gruffly.

She smiled into his neck, then pressed a kiss to his cold cheek and stepped back. "All right, Castiel, back to saving the world with you." She thought for a moment, then, "Wait! Can you heal Bobby before you go?"

He looked grieved again. "I am cut off from the powers of heaven. I am unable to heal anyone."

She frowned. "Well, dammit." At his hurt expression, she stepped forward and put a hand on his arm again. "It's okay, Cass. We'll… Figure something else out."

 **xxxxx**

A few minutes later, her phone rang. "Hello?" She said softly, smoothing Bobby's hair lovingly.

"Hey, kitten, how is he?"

Dean's voice sent warmth down her spine, and she couldn't help the smile on her face. "He's the same. He hasn't woken up yet. Hey, Cass visited, did he come to you guys?"

There was silence on the other end that made her narrow her eyes. "Dean?"

"Uh, yeah, he did," he said slowly.

She let the silence draw out for a few moments, then, "So, what are you not telling me?"

He sighed, and it made her smile. "I'll tell you when we get there, Pipes. We're only a couple hours away."

 **xxxxx**

She met them at the door. As soon as he got out of the Impala in the parking lot, she resisted the urge to run to him. _Play it cool, Finley, he's only been gone for a few hours._

That was thrown out the window when Dean turned and saw her. He grinned when his eyes hit her and opened his arms. She sprinted to him, jumping a little when she was a few feet away, and hitting him felt more like coming home than anything she'd ever had.

He held her close, burying his face in her hair. "Hi, kitten."

She smiled against his neck, pressing a kiss to the warm skin there. "Hi, handsome."

"Gross," Sam said mildly, walking over and grinning at them. Piper turned to say hi, smiling a little when Dean refused to let her go, just wrapped his arms around her waist like iron bands and kept her against him. "Hi, Sammy."

He chuckled. "Hi, Pipe."

They walked back inside, Dean and Piper walking hand-in-hand. "So, what happened? Did you find the Michael Sword?" she asked softly.

"Well, in a manner of speaking…" Dean evaded.

She rolled her eyes. "Dean, you know I'm going to find out. Just tell me."

Sam raised his eyebrows. "I'm, uh, I'm gonna go check in on Bobby." He walked away, and his willingness to give them some space made Piper extremely suspicious.

She turned to Dean. "Well? Where's the Michael Sword?"

He sighed and ran his other hand through his hair. "We got to Dad's storage unit. Zachariah and a couple of his dicks were with him. They, uh, threatened us."

Piper stepped forward and placed a hand on his face to get him to look at her. "What happened?"

He winced. "They gave me stomach cancer, and broke Sammy's legs and took his lungs."

She winced, too. "Are you guys all right?"

He nodded. "Cass came and kicked some ass, then made Zachariah put us back. Then he, uh, _branded_ us."

She chuckled. "Yeah, he came and branded me, too."

Dean frowned. "Well he was kind of a dick about it, honestly."

It was her turn to frown. "Oh. Well, he was nice to me."

"Everyone's nice to you, Pipes."

She laughed. "Yeah, yeah. What about the Michael Sword? Did you find it?"

He sighed and looked up at the ceiling again. "Uh, we had it. It's me."

She blinked. "What do you mean, it's you?"

"I, uh, I am the Michael sword. I'm the one true vessel of Michael, apparently. Archangels have more go-juice than other angels, so they, uh, need a special meatsuit."

Anxiety clawed at her. She grabbed his arm. "We have to hide you, we have to make sure you're safe!" Anger replaced the panic. "He won't get to you, he'll have to come through me, I'll find a way to-"

His smiling mouth pressed to hers stopped her. She sighed and leaned into him. When they came up for air, he was still smiling. "You're scary, woman."

She nodded. "Damn right."

He pulled her closer to him, wrapping an arm around her. "He needs my permission, Pipes. Angels need consent."

She put lay her ear on his chest, listening to the strong heartbeat. "Well, that's handy."

He pressed a kiss to her head. "Yeah, as long as they don't get hold of you or Sammy, we're good."

She smiled. "If they get hold of me, Dean, they're going to wish they hadn't."

 **xxxxx**

Piper worried quietly about Dean as they made their way back to Bobby's room. After their reunion, he had become taciturn and tense again. He hadn't said anything, but his hand was tight around hers when they got into the room to hear Bobby yelling.

"'Unlikely to walk again?!' Why, you snot-nosed son of a bitch! Wait till I get out of this bed!"

The doctor fled past them as Bobby continued to yell. "I'll use my game leg and kick your friggin' ass! Yeah, you better run!" Bobby looked between them and Sam. "You believe that yahoo?"

"Fuck him," Dean said confidently, shedding his distressed demeanor and leading Piper in by the hand. "You'll be fine."

Sam nodded. "So, let me ask the million-dollar question. What do we do now?"

Bobby shrugged. "Well... We save as many as we can for as long as we can, I guess. It's bad. Whoever wins, heaven or hell, we're boned."

"What if we win?" Dean asked softly. Surprised, Piper looked up at him. He was looking between her, Sam, and Bobby. "I'm serious. I mean, screw the angels and the demons and their shit apocalypse. Hell, they want to fight a war, they can find their own planet. This one's ours, and I say they get the hell off it. We take 'em all on. We kill the devil. Hell, we even kill Michael if we have to. But we do it our own damn selves."

Piper smiled at him as Bobby asked, "And how are we supposed to do all this, genius?"

Dean shrugged. "I got no idea. But what I do have is a GED and a give-'em-hell attitude, and I'll figure it out."

Bobby smiled. "You are nine kinds of crazy, boy."

Another shrug from Dean. "It's been said." He strode forward, pulling Piper with him, to clap Bobby on the shoulder. "Listen, you stay on the mend. We'll see you in a bit."

"Piper," Bobby said. She turned to look at him, smiling lovingly. "Listen, what the demon said-"

She let go of Dean's hand to come over and kissed Bobby's cheek. "I know that wasn't you, Bobby, don't apologize for something that demon did."

He smiled up at her. "Love you, Pi."

She smiled and kissed his cheek again. "Love you, too, Dad."

A rush of affection rose in her as Bobby flushed. She turned back to Dean, another smile stretching her lips when she saw his hand was held out to her. She took it and stood next to him.

They turned toward the door, but Bobby wasn't done with them. "Sam?"

They stopped again, and Dean's hand tightened around Piper's. She squeezed his reassuringly as Bobby spoke.

"I was awake. I know what I said back there. I just want you to know that… That was the demon talking. I ain't cutting you out, boy. Not ever."

Sam exhaled sharply. "Thanks, Bobby."

Bobby nodded, a sardonic look on his face. "You're welcome. I deserve a damn medal for this, but… You're welcome."

Once the way down the hallway, Dean pulled her close to whisper in her ear, "Give me a minute with Sammy when we get outside."

"No," she said simply. When he frowned at her, she continued, "Dean, whatever you're going to say, you're saying it in front of me. If you're not willing to say it in front of me, you shouldn't say it at all."

He frowned harder, but said nothing, just led her down the hallway.

As they walked out to Baby, Sam started speaking. "You know, I was thinking, guys, maybe we could go after the Colt."

Dean scoffed cynically, and Piper felt cold. "Why? What difference would that make?"

Sam frowned. "Well, we could use it on Lucifer. I mean, you just said back there-"

"I just said a bunch of crap for Bobby's benefit."

Piper winced and wrapped her arms around Dean's waist, offering silent support. She didn't know what he was about to say, but misery was as radiating off of him, and it was killing her.

Dean had stopped moving and was staring at Sam. "I mean, I'll fight. I'll fight till the last man, but let's at least be honest. I mean, we don't stand a snowball's chance, and you know that. I mean, hell, you of all people know that." He slung an arm around Piper's shoulder and pulled her close.

Sam looked upset. "Dean, is there something you want to say to me?"

There was a long pause. Piper opened her mouth to tell them they were getting separate rooms when Dean spoke.

"I tried, Sammy. I mean, I really tried. But I just can't keep pretending that everything's all right. Because it's not. And it's never going to be. You chose a demon over your own brother, and look what happened."

Sam's face was etched with pain. "I would give anything, _anything,_ to take it all back."

Dean nodded. "I know you would. And I know how sorry you are. I do. But, man… You were the one that I depended on the most. And you let me down in ways that I can't even… I'm just, I'm having a hard time forgiving and forgetting here. You know?"

"What can I do?"

Dean shook his head. "Honestly? Nothing."

"Dean," Piper said softly. "We're done."

He looked down at her with a frown. "Piper, I-"

"Nope, we're done. We're gonna go to a motel, get a room, and sleep it off. No fighting, no more. Not tonight. We're done."

She stared Dean down when he continued to glare at her. _You don't scare me, Winchester._

"Separate rooms," he demanded evenly.

"No," she said back. "We've had quite enough of being apart, thank you."

"Piper-" Sam started.

She turned to point at him. "Nothing out of you, either, younger Winchester." She looked between them. "Give up, gentlemen, there's no argument to be had here."

 **xxxxx**

Dean was irritated all night. He stayed silent when Piper went to book the room, when they went into the room, while they got ready for bed.

He was still mad when they got into bed, listen to Sam and Piper speak easily. _How does she just do that?_ He didn't understand how she could just let it go. Sam had _betrayed_ them. He had hit her! Twice! How was she so calm?

He was mad as they curled into bed together, and he tried to stay stiff when she cuddled up into him. It seemed to have no effect, she still buried her face into his chest and flung her arm around his waist.

He listened to her and Sam's breathing for a long time, until Sam's was slow and rhythmic.

"Okay, you can yell at me now," she whispered, "But be quiet, Sammy's sleeping."

He frowned. "God dammit, Piper, you can't tell me when to be mad at you."

She smiled sadly, and it tugged at his heart. _Don't give into her, she's being… difficult._ "Dean, come on. Just talk to me."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to take it out on you, Pipes."

Her brow furrowed. "Of course not, like I'd let you take it out on me. But you're mad at me for stopping the argument earlier."

He was silent for a while. "He betrayed us."

She nodded. "Yes."

"He lied to me."

"Yes."

"He… He _hit_ you."

She nodded again. "Yes."

Frustrated, he exhaled sharply. "And you're just gonna let all that go?"

She smiled. "Yes."

"God dammit, Piper, stop saying 'yes.'"

She shrugged. "Look, Dean, I'm just… I'm too worried about the mess we have to clean up to keep being mad at Sam. I understand why you are," she said softly, placing one small hand on his face, "and you should be. But I don't have the energy." She smiled. "So, you be mad at him, but don't expect me to let you be a jerk."

He examined her. "Pipes, what if we can't trust him anymore?"

Her sad smile tugged at his heart again, and this time he gave in to the temptation to wrap his arms around her and pull her tightly to him.

"Then we'll cross that bridge when we get to it, Dean."

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi everyone! Here's my notes:**  
 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**  
 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**  
 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	48. This is Not a Theological Issue

"You're telling me he lost his mojo just in time to get me stuck in this trap the rest of my life?"

Piper sighed. She was sitting next to Bobby in his hospital room, him in a wheelchair, her in a regular one. "I don't know, Bobby. I'm going to look into other options."

"There ain't any," he snapped. "Fucking useless angel."

She frowned. "Come on, Bobby, it's not Cass's fault. He did a lot for us."

He glared at her. She opened her mouth to try placate him again, but was interrupted by Dean and Sam walking into the room.

Dean walked over and put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently. "What's shakin'?"

Bobby grumbled about angels and uselessness, turning his wheelchair back around to look out the window silently. Piper ignored him to turn and smile sunnily at Sam. She had sensed that he was feeling left out,and she was determined to fix it. He gave her a hesitant smile back, and she zeroed in on the envelope in his hand. "What's that?"

He held it up. "Dean and I went to radiology."

As he opened the envelope, Dean squeezed her shoulder again. "Got some glamour shots," he said amicably. "Let's just say the doctors are baffled."

Sam walked forward and handed Piper one of the x-rays. She held it up to the light to see writing inscribed on his ribs. She made a face. _No wonder it hurt._ "Wow."

Sam's phone rang, and when he answered, Piper felt Dean lean down to plant a kiss on her head. "How's he doing?" He whispered in her ear.

"Grumpy."

"And also not deaf," Bobby snapped. Piper jumped guiltily.

She was saved by the sound of wings behind them. She squeaked and stood, turning around to see Castiel. She smiled. "Cass!"

Dean wasn't as thrilled. "Cell phone, Cass? Really? Since when do angels need to reach out and touch someone?"

"You're hidden from angels now. _All_ angels." Castiel's face hardened. "I don't have much time. We need to talk."

Dean nodded. "Okay."

"Your plan to kill Lucifer. It's foolish. It can't be done."

Piper frowned. "Hey, thanks for the support, wings."

The angel ignored her. "But I believe I have the solution. There is someone besides Michael strong enough to take on Lucifer. Strong enough to stop the apocalypse."

"Who's that?"

"The one who resurrected me and put you on that airplane. The one who began everything. God. I'm going to find God."

Piper's eyebrows shot to her hairline. "God?" She met Sam's equally confused gaze.

The angel nodded. "Yes."

 _"God,"_ Dean elaborated.

Cass frowned. "Yes! He isn't in heaven. He has to be somewhere."

Dean scoffed. "Try New Mexico. I hear he's on a tortilla."

Castiel shook his head. "No, he's not on any flatbread."

Dean was staring at the angel. "Listen, Chuckles, even if there is a God, he is either dead, and that's the generous theory-"

"He _is_ out there, Dean," Cass interrupted.

Dean ignored him. "Or he's up and kicking and doesn't give a rat's ass about any of us. I mean, look around you, man. The world is in the toilet. We are literally at the end of days here, and he's off somewhere drinking booze out of a coconut. All right?"

"Enough," Castiel snarled, "this is not a theological issue. It's strategic. With God's help, we can win."

"It's a pipe dream, Cas." To Dean's credit, his voice was gentle.

Castiel advanced on Dean, snarling. "I killed two angels this week. My brothers. I'm hunted. I rebelled. And I did it, all of it, for you, and you failed. You and your brother destroyed the world and I lost everything, for nothing. So keep your opinions to yourself."

" _Castiel,"_ Piper snapped, coming to stand between the angel and Dean. She grabbed the lapels of Castiel's coat and tugged. _It's like pulling a building._ "Hallway. Now."

Dean frowned. "Piper, I-"

"Shut up, Dean," she said, her voice low and dangerous. "Come on, wings."

She was surprised and relieved when Cass followed her. _That would have been awkward._

She twirled and jabbed a finger into his chest as soon as the door swung closed behind them. "Listen here, Cass. I do not have the guilt complex the Winchesters have, so I can see this for what it was: a setup."

His eyes widened. "There was no-"

"Can the excuses," she said sharply. "Who knew Dean was going to hell, and what it meant? Who let him go to hell without having a plan to get him out? Who stopped him from stopping Sam at that convent? It sure as _hell_ wasn't us." She glared up at him. "So be pissy, be mad. You fell for us, and I can't even begin to express how grateful I am. But you do not get to make Dean feel like shit just because _your_ brothers failed _you._ You guys started the apocalypse, not the Winchesters."

He looked at her for a long moment, then turned and walked back into the hospital room without another word.

She tilted her head back and groaned. _"Men."_

She followed him into the room. Her heart warmed when she saw that Dean was already looking at her. The corners of his eyes crinkled and he held out an arm, which she made a beeline for and stepped under, savoring the feel of it wrapped around her shoulders.

Bobby was speaking, and she tried to focus. "What is it you want?"

Castiel nodded. "I did come for something. An amulet."

Piper tilted her head. "An amulet? What kind?"

"Very rare. Very powerful. It burns hot in God's presence. It'll help me find him."

Sam had come to stand next to Piper and Dea. "A God EMF?"

Castiel nodded.

Bobby shrugged. "Well, I don't know what you're talking about. I got nothing like that."

Cass looked at Dean. "I know. You don't." His blue eyes dropped to the amulet around Dean's neck.

Piper bristled, and Dean looked down at his necklace. "What, this?"

Castiel nodded. "May I borrow it?"

There was a beat of silence, then, "No."

"Dean. Give it to me."

"Watch your tone, wings," Piper snapped.

Dean squeezed her lightly, still staring at Castiel. He slowly moved his hand not wrapped around her and took the amulet off, handing it over. "Don't lose it," he snapped when Castiel took it. He looked at Piper with a wince. "Now I feel naked." She squeezed him sympathetically around the waist.

Castiel was ignoring them. "I'll be in touch."

"When you find God, tell him to send legs," Bobby said evenly.

Cass disappeared.

 **xxxxx**

Piper elected to stay behind when Rufus called asking for help. She was currently in front of the hospital, wrapped up in Dean's embrace.

"Be careful," she said softly.

He looked down at her. "You, too. Bobby's mean."

She grinned. "No meaner than me."

He chuckled and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "We'll be back in a few days, Pipes."

She smiled up at him. "You'd better be." She sobered for a second, looking into his really stunning green eyes. "Dean, don't do anything stupid."

His brow wrinkled. "What the hell does that mean?"

She glared at him. "You know what it means. Try to be nice to Sam. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

He hmphed. "I'm not an idiot, Pipes."

She rolled her eyes. "I know that, Dean. But you're stubborn, and you're angry, and the two of you make each other do stupid things. So please, restraint, Mr. Winchester," she said with a smile, stepping up to brush her lips across his.

He gave in immediately, kissing her thoroughly. "I'll do my best, Ms. Finley," he said softly.

She smiled. "Good."

 **xxxxx**

"God dammit, Piper, get away from that."

"No, Bobby. You need a wheelchair ramp, at least temporarily, and I'm putting one in. Butt out."

"It's my house!"

She rolled her eyes. "Please, it's at least half mine by now."

He was glaring at her from the porch, sitting in his wheelchair. She took pity on him for a second, putting the hammer down and walking up the almost-completely-installed ramp to sit next to him in the rocking chair there.

"Bobby," she said softly, putting a hand on his arm. "This _is_ temporary, okay?"

He looked away. "If an angel can't heal it, then it's pretty permanent, kid."

"Bobby," she said firmly. He turned to look at her, and she met his gaze fearlessly. "I will find a way to fix this, understand me? The ramp is just a temporary solution. I will find a way to get your legs back."

He just looked at her. "You're good, Pi, but I don't think anyone's that good."

She grinned. "Bobby, when's the last time I wanted something and didn't get it?"

 **xxxxx**

"The four horsemen of the _apocalypse?"_ she asked, rocking back and forth nervously in the rocker on the front porch.

"Yeah. We met War today," Dean said, his voice comforting Piper even if it was crackly. "Killed it. Or sent it back. He's gone, anyway."

She nodded. "Well, that's scary. What's the plan now?"

There was a suspicious silence that had her eyes narrowing before he spoke. "I have no idea," he said frankly. "I guess see what Cass is up to? Maybe try to find the next horseman? I mean, where is the step-by-step process for stopping the end of the world?"

She sighed. "Well, come home and pick me up, then we'll go figure it out, okay?"

She heard his smile over the phone. "Whatever you say, kitten."

 **xxxxx**

Dean tried to calm his nerves as he drove up to Bobby's house. She was going to be _mad._

She was standing on the front porch, and he took a moment to appreciate the curves he suspected would be off-limits to him very soon. She was wearing a sundress, with one of his old flannels over it. Her feet were bare, and she was waving and smiling at him.

She was going to _kill_ him.

He could actually see the moment she realized Sam wasn't in the car with him. The temperature of everything dropped ten degrees, her waving slowed, and her smile gently fell off of her face.

He sighed and parked the car, wincing when she came to stand at the closest corner of the porch.

 _This is gonna suck._

He got out and shut the door, put his hands in his pockets, and turned to look at her. He couldn't help the smile that tilted his lips upward when he saw her long hair billowing in the wind.

Her hands were on her hips, and she was staring at him emotionlessly. "Dean Winchester," she said, her low, dangerous voice sending awareness up and down his spine. "Where the hell is Sam?"

He couldn't look at her, so he looked down at the porch. "We split up, Pipes. I don't know for how long."

There was a beat of silence. "Excuse me?"

He sighed. "I can't trust him, Pipes. And it was his idea, he said he can't trust himself, either." He finally looked up at her angry hazel eyes. "This is too big to screw up, kitten, I need to be sharp."

She came down the steps and approached him until they were inches apart. He frowned, he didn't want her to step on something without shoes on.

She examined him for a long moment, and he had to remind himself that he was Dean fucking Winchester, and he refused to be afraid of this slip of a woman.

"God _dammit,_ Dean," she said softly, closing her eyes and shaking her head.

"It's for the best, Pipes. It wasn't working."

He could not have been more surprised, and a little scared, when she grabbed the lapels of his coat and pulled him down to kiss him hard. He groaned and grabbed her hips in his hands, turning and lifting to set her against Baby's door, humming in approval when she wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Missed you," he murmured against her mouth a few long moments later.

She pulled away and ran a hand along his face. "I missed you, too, Dean. Let me down."

He made a dissatisfied noise and lowered her to the ground. She took his hand and walked him up to the porch. When they stood in front of the rocking chair, she turned and looked at him with heat in her eyes that made everything in him light up.

She stepped forward and pushed that hot little hand under his shirts to run it up to his chest. He pulled in an unsteady breath. "Piper, what are you doing?"

She pushed him gently down into the rocking chair, then straddled him slowly, maintaining eye contact the entire time. "First," she said huskily, making Dean a little dizzy, "We're going to have angry sex, because I'm mad at you, but I missed you."

"Second," she whispered, leaning forward and grinding herself down onto him at the same time. "We're gonna talk about what the _hell_ you were thinking."

She bit his neck and sucked hard, making him grin as she marked him as hers. "Third," she whispered against his skin, "If you're lucky, we'll have makeup sex."

"Whatever you want, kitten," He agreed, struggling to keep her voice steady as she rocked against him.

He felt her smirk against his skin. "Damn right."

He moved to put his hands on her hips, but she wrapped her hands around his wrists and put them back on the arms of the rocker. "No touching, handsome," she purred into his ear, "You are not in charge today, Mr. Winchester."

He growled a little, but gripped the arms of the chair and tilted his head back. _"Fuck,_ Piper."

She smiled and leaned back, running her own hands up her sides to cup her breasts. "What's wrong, Dean?" She asked huskily. "Is there something you want, baby?"

His hands flexed on the arms of the chair as he watched her thumb her nipple, groaning when she tilted her head back and rocked against him hard. "Piper…"

She gracefully stepped off of him, biting her lip and killing him with those hot hazel eyes. She reached under her dress and hooked her fingers under the waistband of her panties. "Clothes off, Dean," she ordered as she slid her underwear down her legs.

He quickly undid his belt and jeans, pulling them down just enough to free himself. He held his hands out. "Come here, baby."

His heart stopped completely when she shook her head and sank to her knees in front of him. "Hands on the chair, Dean," she said softly, breathing raggedly.

He slowly put his hands back on the arms of the rocker. His own breathing was fairly harsh as he watched her lean forward, bracing herself with her hands on his legs. She met his eyes again, licked her lips and hollowed her cheeks, and then she bent her head and took him into her mouth.

" _Piper,"_ he gasped, tilting his head back and fighting to keep himself still. Her hot, _perfect_ mouth moved up and down his length. The wet sounds of her sucking his cock were driving him crazy, and his hands started to ache from the effort it took to not fist his hands in her hair.

She pulled away from him with an audible _pop_ sound, smiling and biting her lip as she stood to straddle him again. Dean closed his eyes and fought for control when she positioned herself over him.

She leaned forward to nibble along his jaw as she slowly sank herself onto him. They gasped in unison at the sensation of him bottoming out. _"God,_ Dean!" she cried out softly.

She slowly rocked back and forth, using the motion of the chair and the strength in her legs to move herself up and down onto him. Dean felt sure he was going to die if he didn't get to touch her soon, but what a way to go.

Soon, her walls were contracting around him and he screwed his eyes shut, desperate to give her what she wanted. But when she started to come, she cried out, "Dean!" And that was it.

Dean's control snapped. He surged up to put a hand behind her head, dragging her close to crush his mouth against hers, invading her mouth with his tongue as she gasped. His other hand gripped her hip, and he started moving through her orgasm, using the rocking chair motion to thrust into her harder.

"Fuck, _Dean!"_

"Again, Piper," he growled against her mouth. "I want you to come again, and I want you to scream for me, understood?"

She was gasping, meeting every thrust with one of her own, her nails digging into his shoulders. "Dean, I can't, oh, God-"

"You can, Piper, come on, baby, give me one more."

He moved his hand from her head to brush it down her stomach, pushing it under her skirts, and brushing his fingers over her clit. Encouraged by her desperate moan, he put more pressure on her and increased the tempo of his thrusts.

She clenched suddenly, her inner walls clamping down on his cock. She tilted her head back and screamed, _"Dean!"_

Her scream sent ecstasy washing through him, and he gave his own low moan as he came into her, shuddering at his release.

She collapsed forward, her head resting on his shoulder. "Jesus, Dean," she gasped.

A thought sent a chill through him. "Piper. Where's Bobby?"

She looked at him for a second, then tilted her head back and laughed. For a second, he was entranced. He ran his hand up her side and brought her smiling mouth back down to his, kissing her softly.

"Bobby's asleep," she said softly. "It's just you and me, Mr. Winchester."

He leaned back and grinned, a ideas swirling in his mind. "Well, that is _very_ interesting, Ms. Finley."

 **xxxxx**

Later, completely exhausted, Piper turned to look at Dean. He cracked an eye to look at her, then looped about arm around her waist to pull her close, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Missed you," she murmured, kissing his bare chest as she nestled closer

"Mmm, missed you, too, Pipes," he said softly, eyes already closing again.

She pushed his shoulder lightly. "Dean, we need to talk about Sam."

He sighed. "Come on, Pipes, just give me until morning, okay?"

When she looked at him closely, Piper realized how tired Dean looked. He had been through a lot, and she wasn't making it easier by bitching at him.

She leaned up and pressed her lips against his. "Okay, lover, tomorrow."

 **xxxxx**

Dean woke in the middle of the night, in the beginning of a nightmare. He looked down at Piper nestled into his chest, and surmised that he hadn't started to swing.

Relieved, he settled back down, pulling her close and burying his face in her hair, breathing in her scent. Her words rang through his head.

" _Okay, lover."_

That was what he was. They were lovers. She was his… What? Girlfriend? No, he wasn't a damn high schooler. He was a man, and they were lovers.

So why didn't he like it?

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi everyone! Here's my notes:**  
 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**  
 **Reviews, comments, and kudos give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**  
 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	49. Everything a Princess Should Be

"Dean, it does _not_ have to be like this. We can fight it."

Dean sighed and took another swig of the beer in his hand. Sammy wanted back in, but Dean couldn't shake the feeling that it would be a disaster. As he watched Piper sleep on top of the blankets on their motel room bed, he couldn't help but think this was the best option.

They had fought again in the car on the way here.

 _"God dammit, Dean, why can you not see that you guys should stay together? You're so much weaker when you're apart!"_

"I can't trust him, Piper! He lied to us over and over and over!"

She threw her hands in the air. "Oh, yes, because you've always been so honest with him!"

Dean sighed and took another swig. "Yeah, you're right. We can. But not together. We're not stronger when we're together, Sam. I think we're weaker. Because whatever we have between us… Love, family, whatever it is… They are always gonna use it against us. And you know that. Yeah, we're better off apart. We've got a better chance at dodging Lucifer and Michael and this whole damn thing, if we just go our own ways."

"What about Piper?" Sam asked, without a trace of bitterness. "You gonna let her go her own way?"

Dean sighed. "Sam, Pipes is better than both of us put together. And she's not a goddamn archangel's vessel, so she's not in danger."

"Dean, don't do this."

Dean closed his eyes. "Bye, Sam."

 **xxxxx**

 _So, future me is kind of a dick._

Dean was staring at himself hard, irritated that he was still chained up, irritated that future him was an asshole, and irritated because he was in twenty-fourteen. Zachariah hadn't told him where Piper was, just gave him a mysterious wink and disappeared.

 _Everyone in the future is a dick._

"What about Sam?"

Future him looked down. "Heavyweight showdown in Detroit. From what I understand, Sam didn't make it."

Dean frowned. "You weren't with him?"

"No. No, me and Sam, we haven't talked in… Hell, five years."

"We never tried to find him?"

"We had other people to worry about."

Dean was starting to get mad at his future counterpart. "Well, where is Piper? She must have been pissed." A thought crossed his mind, and he grinned. "I bet she looks great. She looks great, doesn't she?"

Future Dean just stared at him for a minute, then started out the door. Dean frowned. "Where are you going? Where is Piper?"

"I got an errand to run."

Dean sat up. "Woah, you're just gonna leave me here?"

"Yes. I got a camp full of twitchy trauma survivors out there with an apocalypse hanging over their head. The last thing they need to see is a version of _The Parent Trap._ So, yeah, you stay locked down."

 **xxxxx**

Dean wandered around the camp, trying to stay out of sight.

No such luck. "Hey, Dean!" Dean turned to see Chuck approaching him. "You got a second?"

Dean panicked. "No. Yes. Uh, I… I guess. Hi, Chuck."

"Hi. So, uh, listen, we're pretty good on canned goods for now, but we're down to next to nothing on perishables and hygiene supplies. People are not gonna be happy about this. So, what do you think we should do?"

Dean shrugged. "I… I don't know. Maybe, uh, share?"

Chuck squinted at him. "Wait a minute. Aren't you supposed to be out on a mission right now?"

Dean nodded firmly. "Absolutely. And I will be."

Chuck looked behind Dean, and his eyes widened. "Uh-oh."

Dean turned and a fairly pretty woman swung at him. "Woah, jeeze! Easy, lady!" He ducked behind Chuck, dimly grateful Piper wasn't here to laugh at him.

"Hi, Risa," Chuck said timidly.

Dean frowned. "Risa?"

She was glaring at Dean. "You spent the night in Jane's cabin last night, didn't you?"

Dean blinked. "Did I?" He looked at Chuck, frowning. When Chuck nodded, Dean got even more confused. Why wasn't he in _Piper's_ tent? Dread started swirling in his gut.

"I thought we had a 'connection.'" Risa snapped.

"I'm sure we do," Dean said, distracted. He turned to Chuck. "Is Cass still here?"

Chuck rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I don't think Cass is going anywhere."

 **xxxxx**

After Chuck's reaction, Dean had expected that something had happened to Castiel. He did not, however, expect him to be running a friggin' orgy.

Cass spotted Dean in the middle of his little "let's fuck each other" speech. He turned back to the women. "Oh, excuse me, ladies. I think I need to confer with our fearless leader for a minute. Why not go get washed up for the orgy?"

Cass stood and walked over to Dean. Dean frowned. "What are you, a hippie?"

Cass rolled his eyes. "I thought you'd gotten over trying to label me."

"Cass, we gotta talk."

Castiel examined him. "You're not you. Not now you, anyway."

Dean nodded. "Exactly."

"What year are you from?"

"Two-thousand-nine."

"Zachariah?"

Dean nodded.

"Interesting."

Dean was about to bite the angel's head off, but was interrupted by a voice ringing through the compound. "Uncle Cass!"

Cass gave Dean a sharp look, looking more like the angel Castiel than he had this whole time. "This is going to come as a shock, Winchester. Keep it together, she's been through enough."

Then he looked behind Dean and crouched, a happy smile creasing his face. "Abbie!"

A child flew into Cass's arms, laughing. "Uncle Cass! Where have you been?" She asked, wrapping her chubby arms around his neck as he lifted her, his arm under her behind.

"Grown-up time, carrot," he replied easily, pressing a kiss onto the top of her head.

The child turned to study Dean, and he took the opportunity to study her back, wondering what Cass had meant about it being a shock. _People are still screwing, surely. It's human nature, right?_

Abbie had auburn hair that was in loose waves around her shoulders, framing her high cheekbones and pale skin beautifully. Dean's blood started to run cold when he noticed her pretty emerald green eyes, examining him with an intensity that he'd really only seen matched in one other person.

She tilted her head to the side in a very familiar gesture. "Daddy?"

 **xxxxx**

Dean followed Castiel to the bedroom, in complete and utter shock. Castiel seemed a little unsure himself.

The only person who didn't seem to be too disturbed was Abbie. She was holding Cass's hand and jabbering away. She was shooting shy glances back at Dean, blushing _(like her mother)_ and looking away when they made eye contact.

That worried him. Why was she afraid of him? If he was… Her father, she shouldn't be afraid of him in the slightest.

Cass hoisted Abbie up and onto the bed. "Nap time, carrot."

"But I'm not _tired,"_ she protested. She promptly yawned right after, and it shattered Dean's heart.

Cass met Dean's eyes, and the angel's face softened. "What if I tell you a story, carrot?"

She nodded, then sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and looked at Dean. "Can _you_ tell me one, Daddy?"

In that moment, Dean Winchester fell absolutely and completely in love with Abigail Winchester. He was speechless. He dropped to his knees in front of her and reached a hand out to cup her face. She tilted her head into it, gazing at him with those eyes that he saw in the mirror every morning.

Cass watched with a soft smile. "How about I tell you a story, and Daddy lays down with you, carrot?"

Her eyes lit up, and part of Dean lit up, too. She grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the bed. He followed, rendered completely helpless by her. She smiled at him, and without thinking he picked her up and turned, sitting down and plopping her into his lap, then leaning until they were laying down. She cuddled back into him, laying her head on his outstretched arm and yawning again. "Okay, Uncle Cass, story time!"

Cass sat down in a chair opposite of the bed and smiled. "Which story would you like to hear, carrot?"

"The story about Princess Piper!"

Dean stiffened, and Cass's face tightened briefly before smoothing out. "All right, carrot. Princess Piper."

"There was once a beautiful princess with purple hair, named Piper. She was brave, and strong, and kind. She was everything a princess should be. She was the princess of a happy kingdom, where everyone loved her, and she loved everyone, too.

"One day, she met a handsome prince named Dean. He was strong, too, and gentle, and smart. He came to visit the kingdom and pay his respects to King Bobby. But as soon as he saw Princess Piper, they fell deeply, madly in love with one another. He decided to stay with her in the happy kingdom, and they ruled happily together."

Dean's heart was beating hard, his eyes glued to the former angel.

"The world was still a dark place, where the Dark Prince ruled, but he couldn't touch Dean and Piper's happy kingdom. Especially after they had a beautiful baby girl, Abigail Winchester." Cass's face softened further. "They loved Princess Abigail so much, she made their lives complete.

"But Pipes couldn't stand the Dark Prince ruling the land outside the happy kingdom. He was harming many people, including Abigail's Uncle Sammy, whom he had hurt before she was born. The Dark Prince was threatening to come to the happy kingdom next. So Piper decided to go and fight him before he could. Dean was mad, _very_ mad, but he loved her so much that he didn't go after her when she left on her own. He stayed behind, to protect their happy kingdom, and to protect Princess Abigail.

"Piper fought the Dark Prince, and she fought hard. She fought for a long time, but eventually the Dark Prince got her, and she fell in battle." Cass's face was etched in sadness, and Dean felt like he couldn't breathe. "But her death sparked the rebellion, and Prince Dean led armies against the Dark Prince in Princess Piper's name.

Abbie turned in Dean's arms to face him, a too serious look on her young face. "Regular Daddy says that Mama left because she was stubborn, and she loved being right more than she loved us," she said somberly, studying his face.

Dean frowned and put his hand on her face, marvelling at how small she was. "Regular Daddy?"

She smiled, and he fell in love again. "Regular Daddy never has time for stories. You're not Regular Daddy."

He put away his anger at future Dean (who he was going to have a serious talk with) to look at her intently. "Well, Regular Daddy is wrong. Abigail, your mother loved you. She left to protect you, because the Dark Prince was going to hurt you someday, and she left to prevent that. Hear me, kit?"

She nodded with wide, green eyes. "I hear you, Daddy."

 **xxxxx**

Dean was sitting at the table in Cass's kitchen, his head in his hands. "Piper is… Dead?"

Cass, sitting across from him, nodded sadly. "When she got pregnant, she stayed here, running things, while he went and hunted. Then, once the carrot was born, she had… Renewed fervor for the war, you might say. She and he had a big fight, yelling, throwing things. Then she disappeared. She went to try to get Sam. But it was too late. Lucifer kept her until Future Dean got close, then killed her in a town square. It was… Bad."

Dean closed his eyes against the tears that threatened. _Dammit, kitten._ "Why did he tell Abs what he did? About Piper?"

Cass shrugged, but Dean saw anger on the former angel's face. "He got bitter. It wouldn't be out of the realm of truth to say that he hates Piper."

Dean looked up. "What about Abs?"

Cass's face tightened. "He doesn't seem to have time for her. I think he resents her."

Dean frowned. "She's what, four?"

"Doesn't seem to matter to him."

Dean thought for a moment. "And Sam just let him pull that shit?" The Sam he knew would _adore_ a niece.

Castiel looked sad. "By the time Abigail was born, he was already gone."

 **xxxxx**

Dean spent his second day in twenty-fourteen following Abbie around like a lost puppy. Anytime one of the campers spotted them, he either ignored them, or told them to ask Future Dean.

Abbie was _very_ much enjoying leading him around by the hand, showing him things that only four year olds could possibly interested in. Dean soaked it all up, always either holding her hand or carrying her.

She was just as smart as he suspected any of Piper's children would be. The way she spoke told him she was smarter than the average child her age, and her easy acceptance of his presence told him that her life was far more fucked up than he wanted it to be.

She was chattering as they walked, and he tried to soak up every word. "Sometimes I stay the night with Janey, I love Janey, she always has secret candies for me, but I'm not s'posed to tell Regular Daddy, because he'll get mad. Regular Daddy is _always_ mad about something, Uncle Cass says Mama used to get him to chill out, but Mama's not here anymore, so he's always mad." She looked up at him sunnily. "Did you know Mama, Daddy?"

Dean could barely function beneath the weight of the adoration he felt for Abbie. He just nodded. "Yeah, kit, I knew her."

"What was she like, Daddy?"

Dean thought about that for a moment while Abigail led him away. He bent and scooped her into his arms, craving her closeness. "She was pretty, like you are, kitten. And she was smart like you. And you're right, she did have a way of chilling me out."

Abigail giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck, laying her soft cheek against his. "That's funny, Daddy." She was silent for a few minutes, and Dean wandered around the camp, savoring the feel of her in his arms.

"Daddy?" Her voice told him she was getting sleepy, so he changed direction toward Cass's cabin, keeping an eye out for signs of an orgy going on in there.

"Yeah, kit?"

"Daddy, can you miss someone you didn't meet?"

Dean closed his eyes against the emotions storming through him. "Yeah, kit," he said roughly. "Yeah, you can."

She nodded against his shoulder. "I miss Mama."

He hugged her close. "Me, too, kit."

 **xxxxx**

Before Zachariah zapped him back, Dean felt a brief, violent flash of grief for a child who wasn't going to be born.

 **xxxxx**

Dean was suddenly standing in the motel room again after his conversation with Lucifer, who had been wearing Sam.

Zachariah was standing in front of him. "Oh, well, if it isn't the ghost of Christmas fuck you."

"Dean?" Piper's sleepy voice sent emotions cascading through him. Dean walked past the angel to sweep her against his chest. He knew he was crushing her, and he didn't care. She cuddled into him without complaining.

"Enough," Zachariah snapped. "Dean, enough. You saw it, right? You saw what happens. You're the only person who can prove the devil wrong. Just say yes."

Dean turned with Piper in his arms, glaring at the angel. "How do I know that this whole thing isn't one of your tricks? Huh? Some angel hocus-pocus?"

Zachariah rolled his eyes. "The time for tricks is over. Give yourself to Michael. Say yes and we can strike. Before Lucifer gets to Sam. Before billions die."

Dean looked down at Piper. Her faith in him was shining in her eyes, and his resolve hardened. "Nah," he said casually, never looking away from her.

"'Nah?'" Zachariah snarled. "You telling me you haven't learned your lesson?"

Dean chuckled down at Piper, who was beaming at him. "Oh, I've learned a lesson, all right. Just not the one you wanted to teach."

The angel stepped forward, and Dean pushed Piper behind him. "Well, I'll just have to teach it again! Because I got you now, boy, and I'm never letting you-"

The world swirled away from them.

Dean looked around, seeing that they were on the side of a road. He turned around see Piper stepping forward to hug Cass. "Good timing, wings," she was saying as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Dean was amused to see Cass hug her back nervously. "We had an appointment," he said simply.

Dean grinned and came forward to slap a hand on Castiel's shoulder. "Don't ever change."

He looked at Piper, who was holding out his cell phone. He smirked and took it.

"What are you doing?" Castiel asked.

"Something I should have done in the first place," he said, putting his phone against his ear and pulling Piper close to press a kiss to her forehead.

 **xxxxx**

That night, after arranging a halfway point at which to pick Sam up, Piper was laying on Dean's bare chest, drifting away to sleep.

"So… In the future…"

She lifted her head and looked at him. "What happened?" she asked softly.

He didn't look at her, just kept his gaze on the ceiling. "We… You…"

She let the silence settle over them. He would talk when he was ready.

"You were gone."

She frowned. "Where did I go?"

"You went to try to save Sam. But you didn't make it."

She mulled that over, still studying his lovely jawline. Then she shrugged. "Well, we're already changing that. If you and Sam are together, then we'll be all right."

He was silent for a long time, then he whispered, "We had a kid."

Shock cascaded through her. She sat up and looked at him. "We what?"

He nodded. "A daughter. We named her Abigail." He looked at her with tears in his eyes. "She looked just like you, Pipes."

Piper's throat was tight. They had had brief discussions about children, but nothing serious. She was on the pill, so it didn't matter yet. And she knew the life they led would be a terrible place for children.

But still… "How old was she?"

He ran a hand up her back to tangle his fingers in her hair. "Four."

"What was she like?"

He pulled her back down to lay on top of him, settling her head against his chest again. "She was just like you, kitten. Smart and strong and beautiful."

"Did…. Did she have your eyes?" Envy was burning in her, which she knew was ridiculous. But some part of her had been catapulted into grief at the mention of a child she'd never meet.

He nodded, and her breath hitched. "Oh, Dean," she said softly, pressing a kiss to his chest. "I'm so sorry."

He hugged her close and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Me, too, Pipes."

"I love you."

A beat of silence, then, "I love you, too, Pipes."

They held each other and cried.

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**

 ****Thank you for everyone who's favorited and followed this story. It means so much to me that you guys love Dean and Piper as much as I do.**


	50. What Was That, Piper?

"That one."

A beat of silence. "That one? Are you sure, sir? This one is very-"

"Just box it up already."

"Oh… O-Okay."

There were a few moments of silence.

"How will you be paying today, sir?

"Cash."

 _"Cash?"_

"Is there an echo in here?"

 **xxxxx**

"Swing, Winchester."

Sam swung high, which Piper suspected was on purpose, so she ducked easily and swept his legs out from under him. She tossed her head back and laughed when he hit the ground with a grunt. "Those few days by yourself must have really taken it out of you, Sammy."

He rolled his eyes and held a hand up for help. "Shut up, Pipe."

She leaned down to take his hand, realizing too late that he was grinning.

"No!"

He yanked her down with him and they rolled in the dirt, trying to get the advantage on one another. He finally pinned her. He shot her a wink, and before she could catch her breath, he was tickling her.

"Come on, Pipe, say it."

"Never!" she gasped, trying to breathe through her laughter. "God dammit, Sam, we're not seventeen anymore!"

"Well, that's unfortunate for you, because your ass is staying on the ground until you say it."

"Fuck you!" she laughed, struggling to free her arms so she could punch him in his stupid face.

"You can stop this, Piper, you have the power," Sam said easily, looking down at her with sparkling hazel eyes.

Starting to get dizzy, she gave in. "God dammit, fine! Sam Winchester is the best, and he's better than me at everything."

Sam laughed and stood, offering a hand to help her up. "There you go, see, wasn't that easy?"

She narrowed her eyes and took his hand, squeaking when he pulled her to her feet quickly. "Shut up, Sam. You're like three feet taller than me, this doesn't count."

He chuckled and slung his arm around her shoulders. "Ah, that's not what you would say if _you_ had won."

Piper mock glared at him, but she was beaming on the inside. Sparring with Sam was the first breath of normal they'd had in quite a while. She wrapped her arm around his waist as they climbed the stairs. "Doing okay, Sam?"

He led her to the swing on the front porch, and they sat down together. "I don't know. Being Lucifer's vessel wasn't exactly on my bucket list."

She nodded. "But you're all right?"

He considered for a moment. "I think it will be better now that everyone's back together."

She smiled up at him as the rumble of Baby's engine signalled Dean's return. "I think so, too."

 **xxxxx**

Dean pulled up to the house to see Piper and Sam on the porch, and he took a moment to be grateful that he'd already put his purchase and the receipt in his wallet.

He parked and got out of the car. "Quit mackin' on my woman, Sammy," he said cheerfully, climbing the steps.

Piper turned and smiled at him. And, like it always did, his heart felt ten pounds lighter. "Hey, you," she said happily, "Did you get everything for dinner?"

He nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

She stood. "Good. I'll go start cooking, you guys set the table."

Dean grinned when she came up and pecked him on the lips as she brushed by him. "Yes, ma'am."

 **xxxxx**

Dean grunted as Piper ungracefully nestled herself into him on the couch, narrowly missing some very sensitive areas. She'd fallen asleep about twenty minutes into the John Wayne movie they were watching, and he'd stretched out on the couch and slung the blanket over them without waking her up.

He couldn't get the vision of the future out of his head. A life without Piper seemed… Empty. Future Dean had been an asshole, an asshole who was willing to sacrifice his own people to try to get to Lucifer. An asshole who had left his daughter behind. An asshole who didn't have Piper there, driving him crazy and keeping him in line.

"Dean," Piper grumbled sleepily, "Stop thinking about it. We're on a break. Just relax."

"Sorry, kitten," he said softly, "Can't help it."

"I bet you're not even trying."

"Would you idjits shut up?" Bobby asked crossly.

Piper giggled guilty and snuggled into Dean. He wrapped his arm around her and turned to watch the movie, infinitely grateful she was there with him.

 **xxxxx**

Piper whimpered and tugged at her arms, which were tied to the headboard, as Dean sucked another mark onto her inner thigh. "Dean, _please."_

She felt him smile against her. "I _do_ like it when you beg, baby," he said softly, pressing a kiss to the delicate skin he's just attacked. "But I'm not done with you."

She whimpered and tried to writhe, but she was secured to the bed. Dean had put all of his expertise to use tonight. He had had her there for at _least_ half an hour, and he'd barely touched her.

He had started at her shoulders, and had paid attention to every piece of her until he'd gotten to her knees, and then started back up.

He moved back up now until his mouth hovered over her nipple, which had been severely neglected. He blew cool air on it, and she arched her back. _"Dean!"_

"Shh, kitten, shh," he admonished. "Tell me what you want, baby."

She tried again to writhe in frustration. She was so wet it would drip if she stood, and he wouldn't _touch_ her. "Just do something, _Dean,_ please."

He abruptly pulled her nipple into his mouth, biting just hard enough to hurt. She arched her back and cried out as heat twirled down through her to her core. _"Dean!"_

He hummed against her, chuckling. "Don't make me gag you, kitten."

"If you don't fuck me soon, I will start wailing like a banshee, Dean," she said petulantly, missing his mouth on her.

He grinned and ghosted his fingers over her folds. "Is that so?"

She shuddered and bucked her hips up to his hand. _"Yes!"_

He came up to lay kisses on her neck, and she automatically tilted her head to the side. "Good girl," he murmured, sending more heat shooting through her.

"Please, baby," she whimpered.

"You want it, kitten? Tell me you want it," he growled in her ear, _finally,_ slowly, sinking a finger into her.

"I want you, please, Dean, I want you, _fuck me,"_ she moaned fervently.

He smiled against her skin and bit her neck lightly, sucking hard again. "Yes, ma'am," he said softly into her ear.

He moved his finger in and out of her agonizingly slowly, making her cry out and writhe. "God _dammit,_ Winchester, just _fuck me already!"_

She realized her mistake as he slowly moved his fingers out of her and sat back to look at her, his dark, lust-blown eyes surveying her. "What was that, Piper?" he purred softly.

"Dean, Dean, I'm sorry, I meant Dean, _please,"_ she begged softly, all thoughts of pride or sass gone in her desperation.

His slow smirk damn near killed her. He crawled back over her, the tip of his cock hovering near her entrance. "What are you supposed to call me in bed, Piper?"

"Dean," she gasped, struggling to move her hips closer to him.

"Mmm, what _did_ you call me, Piper?" He watched her movements dispassionately, running his hand up and down his cock.

She whimpered and tried to pull her arms out of their binds again, every part of her begging to touch any part of him. "I called you Winchester," she whined softly.

He grinned down at her, and ran the hand not touching himself down her abdomen until it was holding her down at her hips. "And what am I going to have to do now, Piper?" His voice was low and sensual, causing her to pause. She felt like prey for the sexiest predator on the planet.

Her breathing was hard, and she met his emerald gaze with no fear. "Punish me."

He lined himself up and slammed into her so fast it made her lightheaded. He put his weight on his elbows and covered her mouth with his as she screamed. He didn't move, letting her adjust to his big size.

He ran his tongue along the shell of her ear, breathing heavily. "This is not going to be about you, Piper," he growled softly into her ear. "I'm going to fuck you until I come, and you're going to let me. Understood?"

" _Yes, please, God!"_

He started slamming into her, his hand covering her mouth to muffle her screams. Pressure was building in her, and she was pulling against the restraints hard.

Suddenly, the ties around both ankles gave out. Piper didn't question her good luck, just wrapped her legs around his waist and bucked her hips, rolling him onto his back, with her arms still tied to the headboard, ignoring his grunt of surprise.

She used her hands as leverage to start her own fast, hard pace. She filled herself to the hilt with him every time, her head tilted down to look at him, her hair silvery lavender hair creating a curtain around them.

He grinned up at her and slid his hands up to her hips, squeezing them hard, but not controlling the pace. "Good girl," he growled up at her, sending her closer and closer to the edge. "Good girl, fuck me, kitten."

She huffed out a laugh, her orgasm starting to spiral through her. "Damn right," she muttered, "And I'm going to call you whatever the _fuck_ I want."

He groaned and tilted his head back into the pillow. "Fuck, _Piper."_

Her name on his lips sent her spiralling, coming apart at the seams. She cried out and ground herself down onto him, feeling him jerk underneath her as his own orgasm tore through him. "Dean!"

She dropped down onto him, tiredly nuzzling his jaw as she came down. He wrapped one arm around her waist and reached the other up to free her wrists. Once she was loose, she let her arms fall, leaving them where they were. He laughed and rearranged her on top of him, wrapping his arms around her. "You're gonna kill me someday, kitten."

She nestled into him. "But what a way to go."

 **xxxxx**

Later, after a shower which made them sweatier before making them clean, Dean held Piper as she slept next to him. He was too filled with nervous energy to sleep yet.

Instead, he looked down at her, her head resting on his arm, her face turned to him. He examined her, soaking up every detail. Her high, lovely cheekbones. The scar underneath her right eye, which had faded considerably. Her long eyelashes, her soft mouth, her just, in general _perfect_ face.

He had never been so in love with her than he was right then, drifting to sleep next to her.

 **xxxxx**

Sam came downstairs the next morning to see Piper and Bobby chatting in the kitchen while she made breakfast.

He took a moment to study her move around the kitchen, wondering how they got lucky enough to have her around. She kept them all a little more human.

He watched her, cooking and taking care of Bobby and laughing with him, making sure the older man didn't _notice_ that she was taking care of him. There was another hickey on her neck _(my brother is a caveman),_ clearly marking her as Dean's. As if she needed to be marked.

He heard Dean come up from behind him. "How are you always in a good mood in the mornings, woman?" his brother asked gruffly, slapping Sam on the shoulder as he walked in.

Dean may not have had a mark on his neck, but the look on his face when he looked at her laid Piper's claim just as effectively. Along with the way he shifted around her unconsciously, or the way he reached for the mug in her hand, chuckling when she grumbled about coffee thieves.

She turned and looked at Sam, her eyes sparkling. "Sam, get in here and defend my coffee. Your brother is a Neanderthal."

Sam grinned, warmth spreading through him as he entered the kitchen. "Yes, ma'am."

She smiled at him and took her coffee back from Dean. "There's a full pot over there, Dean, go get your own." She turned back to Sam. "Butter the toast, Sammy, so we can eat and start looking for the Colt again."

He grinned. "Yes, ma'am."

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi everyone! Here's my notes:**  
 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**  
 **Reviews, comments, and kudos give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**  
 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	51. Difficult is One Word for It

_The first time Dean Winchester laid eyes on Piper Finley, he pointed a gun at her._

" _Woah, woah, woah! God dammit, don't shoot!"_

 _All he saw were a pair of small, feminine hands holding themselves up from under the table. The voice that had come from the same place was shaking, obviously terrified, but obviously also trying to be strong. Dean smiled. He liked it when people had some spunk._

" _Hey, I'm not gonna hurt you, okay?" he said gently, putting the gun in one hand and holding his other in a similar gesture as hers, ignoring his father's voice in his head telling him he was being stupid. "It's all gonna be all right," he said soothingly._

 _There was a sniffle. "It's really not," the voice said softly. "I don't think it's ever going to be again."_

 _He knelt, peeking under the table. Scared, wide hazel eyes were looking at him, attached to a lovely, albeit skinny teenager who looked to be about his age. "Hey, are you okay?"  
_

 _She shook her head, but didn't move from the weird crouched position she was in. "It's… It's, um, it's my mom. I… I think she's dead."_

 _Dean's blood ran cold, but he kept his face impassive. He held his hand out to her. "Well come on out here, we'll check together, all right?"_

 _She eyed him warily. "I can get out by myself, thank you very much," she said softly, crawling out from under the table and ignoring his offered hand._

 _Dean frowned. "All right, no one said you couldn't, calm down."_

 _She got out and shot him a look that, in the future, he would be very familiar with._

 _But he didn't know that now, so he just stared back at her. She stood and brushed herself off, the flash of sass she had shown already long gone. She wrapped her arms around her middle. "That… Thing… That monster got her. I… I don't know how long we've been here," she whispered the last, starting to shake._

 _Dean didn't question the impulse to step forward and wrap his arms around her. She stiffened for a moment, then leaned into him, sniffling again. "I don't know what to do," she said softly._

 _He rested his chin on top of her head. "I can help you figure that out, all right?"_

 _She nodded against him. "Okay."_

 _He leaned back and looked down at her. "My name is Dean Winchester. What's yours?"_

" _Piper Finley."_

 **xxxxx**

"Pipes, come on. You gotta come."

She smiled. "Dean, I need to stay here. Bobby needs me."

He tugged her toward him. "What if _I_ need you?"

She cuddled close. "You always have me, Dean." She tilted her head up to look at him. "But I think Bobby's going through some stuff." She ran her hands down his chest, straightening his coat. "Plus, you and Sam need some time. Go work this case, get your groove back, and then come get me." She smiled up at him.

He pressed his lips to hers, and she savored the taste of coffee and whiskey and _Dean._ "But that could take, like, a _week_ kitten," he muttered against her mouth.

She pulled away with a laugh. "A week that you will make it through just fine." She stepped out of his arms, ignoring his irritated noise. "Go. Play nice with Sam. Make it back to me, lover."

There was a moment of silence, and an indefinable expression on his face. "Always do, kitten."

 **xxxxx**

"I don't need you here, woman!"

"Screw you, Bobby, you do, too!"

"I am not some sort of damn cripple!"

"No one said you are! I'm just trying to help out!"

"I don't want your help!"

Piper ran her hands through her hair, closing her eyes in frustration. "God dammit, Bobby, just let me do this. Let me help you."

He slammed his hand down on the table. "I don't need your coddling, woman!"

Her temper snapped. "I almost _lost_ you, Bobby!" she shouted, tears gathering in her eyes. "They came to talk to be about _insurance._ And _arrangements._ Bobby, they thought you were going to _die."_ The tears were falling down her face. "And they wanted me to take care of everything! So I did."

She wiped her face, angry at herself. "I filled out the insurance forms, I looked up funeral homes, and I prayed like no one has ever _goddamn_ prayed before." She leaned down and pointed at him. "So you just shut the fuck up and let me help you. Let me feed you and build you wheelchair ramps and take care of the living, breathing you, because I had to take care of dead you. Understood?"

 **xxxxx**

After that, life was easier. Bobby still bitched and moaned, but he never tried to stop her incessant cooking, cleaning, and checking on him.

Dean called every day, which gave Piper the warm fuzzies, and made her feel a little like a teenager again.

"I'm just saying, Pipes, dollars to doughnuts, if that's _Little Bastard,_ that's what killed the guy."

She smiled and pushed her shopping cart forward, phone held between her ear and her shoulder. "James Dean's car, huh? You must be freaking out."

He sounded offended. "I am not. I don't freak out."

She laughed softly. "Sure, sure, whatever you say, Mr. Winchester."

There was a weird beat of silence, then, "You're damn right, whatever I say, Miss Finley."

She was looking through the freezer section, trying to decide what to make for dinner, when she heard, "Here's your beer," in a woman's voice through the phone.

Piper's eyes narrowed. "Dean Winchester, are you in a bar?"

"No, I'm… I'm in a restaurant."

She let her silence speak for her, knowing he would break.

"That… Happens to have a bar in it."

She looked at her phone, then put it back to her ear, frozen food forgotten. "Dean, it's three in the afternoon."

"Five o'clock somewhere, kitten."

"Yes, but not there." Her eyes narrowed again. "And Dean, if you flirt with that bartender, I'll kill you."

She heard his grin in his voice, and it sent warmth down her spine. "Would I do that, kitten?"

 **xxxxx**

That night, Piper was on the phone with Dean again. "Like… The _president?_ Abraham Lincoln?"

"Yeah, Abraham Lincoln and James Dean, can you believe that?"

"Why are they killing people _now?_ That makes no sense."

"Maybe the apocalypse has got them all hot and bothered."

Sensing where this was going, she closed her eyes. "Dean, stop it. It's happening whether we like it or not, there's no use being like that."

"Well, we all know whose fault _that_ is."

"Dean, you're being a dick."

"Well, I'm sorry, but it's true." There was a sound in the background, then, "I'll call you later. Bye." And he hung up on her.

Piper rolled her eyes, then went down to the kitchen to start on dinner. Bobby was sitting at the table, reading. He looked up as she entered. "How goes the hunt?"

"Abraham Lincoln and James Dean are their best guesses right now." She groaned and pulled her apron out of the cabinet. "And Dean is being an ass."

Bobby scoffed. "Pi, Dean _is_ an ass."

She smiled. "True, but he's worse than usual right now. He and Sam need to work together, not pick each other apart."

Bobby hesitated. "Pi… Sam _did_ start the apocalypse."

She rolled her eyes and groaned. "Not you, too, Bobby." She turned and looked at him. "Am I the only one who can see that heaven and hell have been arranging this for millennia? That it didn't ever matter what we did, we would have ended up here?" She turned back to start chopping vegetables. "It's no more Sam's fault than it is Dean's. And if they're too thick to see it, I'll just have to _make_ them see it."

 **xxxxx**

"He's treating me like I'm a little kid, Pipe. It's driving me crazy."

Piper nodded in sympathy, the phone held between her shoulder and her ear again as she wiped the barrel of the gun she was cleaning. "I know, Sam. I'm sorry, I'm trying to talk to him."

He sighed. "I know you are. I just… I don't think this is going to work."

"Stop it, Sam," she said softly. "The two of you are going to kill me with this. It is going to work. Splitting the two of you up has never done us any good. So just… Stop it. Try to keep with it, okay? I know he's difficult."

He snorted. "Difficult is one word for it."

She laughed softly. "All right, he's a huge ass. Is that better?"

"More accurate, anyway."

Piper laughed when Sam hung up. Thinking, she put the cloth she was using down and sent Dean a text message.

 _"Dean Winchester, go apologize to your brother."_

 _"What did I do?"_

 _"You know exactly what you did. Go. Now."_

 _"Piper, we're busy."_

 _"Make time for this, Dean. It's important."_

Irritated, she text Sam instead.

 _"Just be honest with him, Sam. Tell him."_

 _"He's not going to listen, Piper. He never does."_

 _"Tell him until he does. That's what I do."_

 _"You have an advantage that I do not."_

Piper leaned her head back and fought the urge to scream. _The fucking Winchesters._

 **xxxxx**

"Bobby! Dinner!"

There was silence from the living room. Frowning, Piper went to find him.

He was sitting in front of the window, just staring out into the dark. She came forward gently to place a hand on his, crouching next to his wheelchair. "Bobby?" she said softly.

"What good am I doing here?" he asked roughly. "I'm not doing any good at all."

She frowned. "Yes, you are. You're helping research, you're keeping my head on straight, you're helping the guys. Bobby, we need you."

He shrugged. "Whatever, Pi." He rolled into the kitchen silently.

She watched him go, a cold worry taking hold in her heart.

 **xxxxx**

"I'm worried, Dean," she said softly, watching Bobby do research from the kitchen. "He won't talk to me."

"Kitten, not everyone wants to talk about their problems."

She frowned. "Yes, that has worked out so well for us in the past."

There was a heavy sigh on the other end of the line that had her rolling her eyes. "I don't know what to tell you, Pipes. Maybe the man's just quiet."

"Hmph. When are you coming home?'

There was a beat of silence on the other end. "I don't know, kitten. I think Sam found us another case. Do you want us to come get you?"

The hope in his voice made her heart hurt. "No, I need to stay here. I'm worried about Bobby."

 **xxxxx**

Piper spent the next two days doing nonstop research on spinal injuries. She found experimental studies, shady doctors willing to do shady surgeries, and researched ways to fly to countries where those surgeries were legal under the radar.

She also turned to the supernatural. She looked through healing spells, potions, tonics, and rituals. She spoke vaguely to a witch, a few other hunters, and a "faith healer." She called Garth, Ellen, Jo, anyone she could think of to find a way to get Bobby's legs back.

She prayed to Castiel frequently during this time, but he mostly ignored her. Which pissed her off.

"Okay," she said briskly, sitting at the desk in Bobby's study. "I've got two spells that may work, and I'm going to call this witch back to see if she has some of the ingredients." She wrinkled her nose. "I know how Dean feels about witches, but she seems nice, and God knows we need all the help we can get."

Bobby sighed. "We've been looking for weeks, Piper. Nothing has worked."

She glared at him. "And we're not going to stop looking until we find something, understand me, Singer?"

She ignored his grumble as she pulled her phone out to contact the witch.

 **xxxxx**

Dean sped the whole way home. The case with the half-demon kid had freaked him out, and he knew it had freaked Sam out, too. The way that Castiel had been willing to waste that kid…

He also knew that there would be another case soon, probably nowhere near Sioux Falls. If he was thinking right, they'd be looking for that case now, instead of driving what would probably end up being the opposite direction.

But _Piper_ was in the opposite direction.

She was waiting for him on the porch when he pulled in. She was _beautiful,_ in one of his old flannels and a pair of tight jeans. Her hair was braided over her shoulder, and her smile was wide.

He got out of the car and turned to catch her when she flung herself into his arms. She didn't say a word, just crashed her lips against his. He bent a little and lifted her easily, groaning when her legs wrapped around his waist. His hands kneaded her ass, and when she gasped, he swept his tongue into her mouth, savoring the taste of her.

"Jesus, guys, we were only gone for two weeks," Sam muttered, walking by to talk to Bobby on the porch.

"Hmm, missed you," she gasped against him, grinding down on him.

"You, too, kitten," he moaned, tilting his head as she kissed her way down to his shoulder. "Bed," he grunted, stifling another loud moan when she bit his shoulder through his shirt.

She laughed softly and pulled away a little, linking her hands behind his neck and smiling at him warmly. "No," she said softly. "Dinner first, then bed."

He groaned and walked his way to the house, not letting her down. He grinned at Sam and Bobby's identical irritated stares as he walked up the porch with her in his arms. "Let's eat," he said easily, bending so she could open the door for them. He wasn't too proud to admit he was showing off for her by keeping her in his arms until they got into the kitchen.

"You're an idiot, Dean," Sam said crossly.

"Idjit."

 **xxxxx**

Later, sweaty and naked, Dean was basking in his afterglow, and in Piper's warm body against his. Her head lay on his chest, and he was running his hand through her hair.

She looked up and smiled. "Missed you, Winchester."

"Missed you, too, Finley."

She curled back into him and dozed. He tucked his hand behind his head, one arm wrapped around her, and looked up at the ceiling. He was content. Hell, Lucifer was walking the earth, the angels wanted to use him and Sammy as condoms, and Bobby was in a wheelchair, but he was _happy._ All because of her.

He'd never been more sure of anything in his life.

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi everyone! Here's my notes:**  
 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**  
 **Reviews, comments, and kudos give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**  
 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	52. Oh, Don't You Worry

_The first time Dean Winchester took Piper Finley to dinner, there was still a spill of blood on her shirt._

 _He realized it when he walked around and opened the car door for her. She was just sitting in the passenger seat, still in shock, he suspected. He knelt, examining her face. "How you holdin' up, kitten?"_

 _She turned to look at him slowly, and her hollow eyes hurt his heart. "I'm okay, Dean," she said softly, unconvincingly._

 _Instead of calling her out, he just nodded. "All right, come on, Pipes." He took her hand and gently helped her out of the car. Once she was standing, he shrugged off his coat and draped it over her shoulders. "Hold this closed, there's some blood on your shirt."_

 _She obeyed, but looked down. "Oh. Maybe I should go home to change."_

 _He shook his head and put a hand on the small of her back. "Nope. Pancakes first."_

 _A small smile touched her lips, and it made him feel better. "Okay, Dean. Pancakes first."_

 _He led her into the diner and to a booth, signaling the waitress. Piper stayed quiet while he ordered for both of them, which worried him even more. Normally, if he tried to order for Piper, she'd gut him. Now, she sat docile, eyes glazed over, staring at nothing._

 _Once the waitress left, he wrestled with himself._

 _Maybe I shouldn't say anything? When Sam or Dad was upset about a hunt, he never said anything._ But she's a girl. More importantly, she's Piper. _So? What, just because she's Piper, suddenly he wanted to make sure she was all right?_

 _"Stop it, Dean," she said softly. "You don't have to comfort me. I'm fine."_

 _He blinked. "What?"_

 _She looked at him evenly. "I'm fine, Dean." She took a deep breath. "I… I wish we'd been able to save that little girl, but we got the spirit. So I'm fine."_

 _He winced. "Look, Pipes… We can't save everyone."_

 _Tears filled her hazel eyes. "I know. I just… I just wish we could."_

 _Dean didn't fight with himself about leaning over to take her cold, slender hand into his. "Hey, come on, Pipes, it'll be all right."_

 _She gave him a watery smile. "Okay, Dean."_

 **xxxxx**

"It sounds crazy, right?" Dean asked.

Piper shook her head. "Not really, there's some lore on it that goes back centuries. A travelling card player comes into town, you beat him, you get years of life back. Of course, most people lose."

She was sitting on the table, talking to Dean on speakerphone with Bobby.

"Well, that would explain the crunchy corpse."

She smiled. She missed him, which was ridiculous. He and Sam had only been gone for a couple of days, and she was already pining for him. _Get it together, Finley._

Bobby was nodding. "Supposedly, this player's a hell of a card shark. Got a lot of years in the bank. You find the bar he's working in yet?"

"There's a lot of dives in this town. We're gonna have to split up."

Bobby frowned. "Well, why you still talking to us?"

He hung up and looked at Piper. "Idjits."

She smiled fondly and hopped off of the table. She leaned over to press a kiss to Bobby's cheek. "They are, but they're ours."

He rolled his eyes, then looked away. "Hey, Pi, why don't you take a break from cooking tonight?" He dug into his pocket for his wallet and pulled out several bills. "Go grab us something from town."

Her eyebrows went up, and she smiled. It was the first interest Bobby had shown in anything since that weird night she'd found him staring out the window. "Okay, I can do that. Do you care what we get?"

He shook his head and handed her the money. "Whatever you want."

She smiled and grabbed her keys. "Okay, well, then, I guess I'll be back soon."

 **xxxxx**

Bobby didn't feel _too_ bad for lying to Piper. He just hoped that when he walked back into the house instead of rolled in, she'd be too happy about that to care.

She kind of scared him.

 **xxxxx**

Piper was frantic as she sped toward the city Dean and Sam were in. Dean wouldn't answer his phone, but Sam did.

"He's going to do something stupid, Sammy, I don't know what to do."

"Maybe he just… Went for a walk, or roll, or whatever."

"His car is gone." She was fighting the angry tears threatening to come to the surface. "He _lied_ to me, I'm going to _kill_ him."

"We'll find him, Pipe," Sam said soothingly. "Hang on, I think that's Dean at the door. I'll call you as soon as we have anything, okay?"

She nodded, then realized he couldn't see that. "Okay, thank you, Sam."

She pressed the accelerator harder, praying.

 **xxxxx**

Piper couldn't quite remember the last time she'd been so mad. She was frozen in the doorway, staring at Bobby, who looked normal, Sam, who looked normal, and what was pretty obviously Dean fucking Winchester as he would be in his late seventies.

"Hi, Pipes-" Dean started cautiously.

She held up a finger. "Nope, I'm not speaking to you yet." She pointed a finger at Bobby. "You either."

Instead, she smiled at Sam and walked toward him. He grinned, holding his arms out, and she slipped hers around his waist to hug him tight. "Hi, Sammy," she said softly. "You're the only person in this room I have no urge to murder."

She smiled when he squeezed her tight. "Good," he said cheerfully, "because you're scary."

She grinned up at him. "Yes, I am." She sighed and stepped away, turning to Bobby. "All right, what happened?"

"Pipes, I-" Dean started again, only to be interrupted by her hand in the air.

"Oh, don't you worry, Dean, I'll get to you in a minute," she said softly, "but right now, I'm speaking to Bobby, so shut up."

Bobby looked uncomfortable. "I came and found the witch and played."

She cocked an eyebrow. "And, what, broke even?"

He shook his head, flicking his eyes to Dean. "No, I, uh… I lost. Dean found out and played for my years back, but lost fifty of his own in the process, the idjit."

"Hey," she snapped. "He probably saved your life, so don't you attack him, Bobby Singer." She put her hands on her hips. "All right, wanna explain why the fuck you'd do something like this?"

He sighed. "You can't understand, Pi."

She shook her head. "You're right. I can't. But I can take a guess. You wanted to play so you could get out of the wheelchair. You don't trust me to find something that will help, so you took matters into your own hands. You _lied_ to me, and sent me away so you could sneak off to pull this stupid stunt. Did I miss anything?"

A stubborn look crossed Bobby's face. "Piper, I-"

"Didn't think so," she interrupted. "I'll come back to you."

She turned slowly to Dean, whose eyes widened. "Hallway, Winchester, now." She walked and opened the door without checking to see if he was following her. She knew he would.

As soon as he shut the door behind him, she whirled to confront him. Her hands were shaking, and she curled them into fists to control the urge to deck him. "What the _fuck,_ Dean?"

He threw his hands up. "What was I supposed to do? Just let him die?" His voice had deepened, and it tugged at her heart.

She ran a frustrated hand through her hair. "Of course not, Dean, but you don't at all see how this is ridiculous?"

"Piper, I couldn't just let him die."

She sighed and tried desperately to keep a handle on her emotions. "Dean, are you really this miserable? Do you _value_ yourself so little?"

He stared at her. "What?"

She looked back at him frankly, tears gathering in her eyes again. "What is it that's so bad about your life that you're okay sacking yourself at any given moment? Why are you so willing to play the martyr? I know things are rough, and I know that it's one of the things that makes you a hero, but… But Jesus, Dean, it makes being your girlfriend kind of stressful."

His eyes widened and he took a step toward her, hesitantly placing a hand on her arm. "Piper, I-"

"I'm not _going_ anywhere, idiot, ever," she said softly, looking into those gorgeous, unchanged green eyes. _Good to know those are sticking around._ "I just… I just want to understand why you would thinking sacrificing yourself is the only way out of this situation."

He sighed and tugged her towards him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and closed her eyes when he pressed his lips to her forehead. If she wasn't looking at him, she could almost believe everything was normal. "I'm sorry, Pipes, it was just the first thing I could think of to do."

She sighed and kept her eyes closed, reveling in his warmth. _Also good to know that that's not going anywhere._ "Well, the next time you think about giving away fifty years of life, please call me first."

He chuckled, and it sent familiar, comforting warmth through her. "Deal, kitten."

 **xxxxx**

Dean was watching Piper walk back to her Jeep as they left the graveyard. The witch's woman had given them a reversal spell, and they had had to do a little grave-robbing to complete it.

He never got tired of watching her. The way her hips swayed still made his heart beat faster. And now, of course, that may _actually_ kill him.

Getting old sucked. He was creaky, he couldn't eat burgers, his whole body had a low-level ache the whole time. He also had a sneaking suspicion that he couldn't act on these urges he felt for Piper. This was not something he was looking forward to.

"Come on, geezers," Piper said cheerfully, pushing Bobby's wheelchair. "Let's go get Sammy."

As Dean helped her get Bobby into the Jeep, he took another moment to be grateful for her. Despite his bone-head move, and his general jackassery, she stayed. She always stayed.

 **xxxxx**

The spell hadn't worked. Piper dragged Dean with her into the witch's apartment to find DNA, any DNA. Something was telling her that they needed to _hurry._

"Come on, handsome, let's find something and get the hell out of here," she said, quickly headed toward the bathroom. There was nothing, no toothbrush, no cups, _nothing._ "Shit!"

"Pipes, I think I-" He started. She heard him groan, then a thud.

"Dean?" She came out of the bathroom to find him on the floor. _"Dean!"_ She ran to him, falling to her knees and hauling him into her lap. "Dean, baby, talk to me."

He was clutching his chest, and his eyes were focused on her. "No, no, no, no, no," she chanted softly, one hand placed on his cheek, "Not like this, okay? You stay with me, Dean, you're not going anywhere, understood?"

 **xxxxx**

The pain in Dean's chest worsened, and as he watched Piper's crying, scared face, he wished he had the breath to tell her he loved her.

 **xxxxx**

"Dean, baby, come on, please, please stay with me," Piper chanted, starting to rock back and forth.

Dean went still.

"Oh, God, Dean," she whimpered, leaning forward to press her forehead against his. "Please, baby, don't do this, _don't you dare leave me like this!"_

 _The last thing I did was yell at him. Oh, God, I didn't even tell him I love him! I just bitched at him._

She barely heard the low, miserable moan coming from her throat. She just kept her forehead pressed against his, trying to somehow comprehend the pain and self-blame ricocheting through her.

She honestly thought she hallucinated the changing texture of his skin against hers, and the soft inhale she heard. _Wishful thinking._

What she didn't hallucinate was his hand coming up to cup her face, or his warm lips pressing against hers. She jerked back, eyes wide as he sat up slowly, his eyes studying her face, his lips twitching up into a smile. He was thirty again. _God, he's gorgeous._

"Pipes, kitten, I'm all right, I'm-"

She cut him off by launching herself at him, crashing her mouth onto his. He grunted in surprise, then wrapped his arms around her and crushed her against him, kissing her fiercely.

"Oh, Dean, thank God, I love you, that was awful-"

"Hey, I'm all right, I love you, too, I'm alive-"

They murmured against each other, the soft whine in the back of her throat slowly fading as the reality of him against her set in again. _Oh, thank God._

 **xxxxx**

That night, Dean was lying in bed facing Piper, their legs tangled together, and his arm under her head. _God, she's gorgeous._ He brought his other hand up to her cheek and watched her eyes fill with tears.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as her tears started to fall.

He frowned. "For what?"

She shook her head. "I shouldn't have yelled at you, I shouldn't have even been mad."

He ran a thumb along her cheek and leaned forward to kiss her gently. "Don't cry, kitten, it's okay."

"No, it's not," she sniffled and put her hand over his on her face. "No, it's not, because when I thought you were dead, I would have done anything, _anything,_ to get you back." She looked at him sadly. "I'm a hypocrite, Dean. I would have sold my soul in a second for ten more years with you."

He looked at her closely, then kissed her again instead of responding. Because he was a hypocrite, too. If she'd done something stupid to bring him back, he would have been livid.

When they came up for air, she cuddled close, nestling her head under his chin. He placed a hand on the back of her head, pressing her to him. "What are we gonna do about Bobby?" she whispered.

He sighed. "I don't know, kitten."

She leaned back and looked at him. "I think you should talk to him."

He frowned. "Why?"

She thought for a moment. "Because you're a warrior, like he is. Sam and I, we're more researchers than anything. I think it will mean more coming from you, because it sure as hell didn't work when I said it."

He examined her face. "What should I say?"

She smiled. "You'll know what to say, when the time comes."

 **xxxxx**

The next day, she was standing outside with Sam, who she had dragged outside to give Dean and Bobby time to talk.

She pulled in a deep breath, then let it out in an explosive exhale. "Well, that sucked."

He nodded. "Yeah, it did." He looked at her with a hint of a smile. "Going back to Bobby's after this?"

She thought carefully for a moment, then shook her head and grinned at him. "No, something tells me you guys are gonna need me soon."

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi everyone! Here's my notes:**  
 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**  
 **Reviews, comments, and kudos give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**  
 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**  
 ****Stay with me, beautiful readers. He's not gonna hold onto that ring forever.**


	53. She Seems to Have That Effect

_The first time Dean Winchester kissed Piper Finley, she ran away._

 _He watched her retreat up the stairs and into her room. His whole body felt like it was on fire, and were his lips actually tingling? He thought yes._

 _He slowly made his way to the couch, where he sat back down. His mind wouldn't stop replaying her softness pressed against him, her little gasps, the way she tasted…_

 _He wasn't even surprised when his father came down the stairs and sat down next to him. John seemed to have a knack for knowing when Dean was feeling all right, and coming around to ruin it._

 _Feeling bad for the traitorous thought, Dean looked at his father. John considered Dean closely. "Son, you know what a hunter's life is like."_

 _Dean nodded, his heart sinking because he knew what was coming. "Yes, sir."_

" _And you know Bobby doesn't want Piper involved in it."_

" _Yes, sir."_

 _John sighed. "I'm not trying to be a dick, son. I'm just trying to make sure no one gets hurt."_

 _Dean swallowed hard. "Yes, sir."_

 _John clapped Dean on the shoulder. "She's a good girl, Dean, I get it. But it's a bad idea."_

 _Dean nodded. "Yes, sir."_

 _John nodded and went back up to bed._

 _Instead of replaying his time with Piper, Dean's mind spent the night whirling around what his father had said. And what his father had meant._

 _Piper was a good girl._

 _Too good for Dean._

 **xxxxx**

Piper felt strangely calm as they approached the warehouse they thought the trickster was in. She suspected that the serenity in and of itself was cause for alarm, because she should have been very scared.

The stake in her jacket felt heavier than it should have been. _That's the weight of guilt, Finley,_ she told herself grimly. She didn't want to kill the trickster. Arguably, she liked the trickster. But if he was going to keep killing people, he was making the issue black and white. No matter how much he liked her, or she liked him, if he was killing people, he had to die.

All she could do was hope he'd hear them out and help them stop the apocalypse.

Dean was frowning as they readied themselves. He looked at Sam. "There was a murder here, and there's no police cars. There's nobody. How's that look to you?"

Sam winced. "Crappy."

Dean nodded and they approached the building. As the door opened, Piper walked into the white bedroom that was so familiar.

She frowned. "This is where the trickster takes me." She looked over to see Dean's reaction, and realized as the door swung shut behind her that she was alone.

 _There_ was the fear.

 **xxxxx**

Dean was battling conflicting emotions, and it was giving him a migraine.

Awe was first. They were on the set of _Dr. Sexy, MD._ He was low-key freaking the hell out, because Dr. Piccolo slapped Sam across the face, and it was about to be placed in the top five moments of Dean's life. He was wearing scrubs and a doctor's coat, as was Sam, and it was all very awe-inducing.

However, anger and fear were quickly overtaking it. Where the _fuck_ was Piper? He was fighting the panic that was trying to come up, but the longer he didn't know where she was, the more irritated he became. He had to keep reminding himself that the trickster had repeatedly said that Piper was the only human he really liked.

 _She's safe, she's safe, she's safe._

He was still trying to assure himself when Dr. Sexy himself walked down the hall. "Oh boy."

Sam turned to him and frowned. "What?

Awe overtook him again. "It's him."

"Who?"

"It's him, it's Dr. Sexy."

Dr. Palmer approached them, stopping to stand in front of them. He nodded at Dean, who was trying very hard to play it cool. "Doctor."

Dean looked down to hide his grin. "Doctor."

Dr. Palmer looked at Sam. "Doctor."

Sam just stared until Dean whacked him on the arm, then he scowled. "Doctor."

Then Dr. Palmer looked at Dean. "You want to give me one good reason why you defied my direct order to do the experimental face transplant on Mrs. Biehl?"

Dean blinked. He looked at Sam, who was no help, then back to the doctor. "One reason?"

Palmer nodded.

Dean nodded, too. "Sure." He looked down to try to figure out what the hell he was going to say when he saw the doctor's shoes. His _white tennis shoes._

Anger coursed through Dean. He slammed the other man against the wall. "You're not Dr. Sexy," he snapped.

The doctor was staring at him. "You're crazy."

Dean sneered. "Really? Because I swore part of what makes Dr. Sexy sexy is the fact that he wears cowboy boots. Not tennis shoes."

Dean saw his younger brother roll his eyes. "Yeah. You're not a fan."

Dean ignored him. "Where the fuck is Piper?"

The doctor blinked. "Who?"

Dean slammed him against the wall again. "No dice, asshole, I know who you are. Where did you take her?"

All of the people in the hallway froze besides Dean, Sam, and the man against the wall. Dean ignored the them, they weren't important.

The doctor morphed into the trickster, who was grinning. "You guys are getting better!"

Dean resisted the urge to beat the bastard to a pulp. "Where is Piper?" He ground out.

The trickster grinned and shook his head. "Not so fast, buddy. Your little girlfriend is fine. You should worry about _you."_

 **xxxxx**

Piper waited impatiently for the trickster to show himself. She was _beyond_ furious. Where the hell were the Winchesters?

The door behind her opened, and she didn't think twice about rearing back and punching the trickster hard in the face. He did not seem affected, and she felt a bone in her hand break, but she felt a little better. Cradling her injured hand, she glared at him. "Where are Sam and Dean?"

He rubbed his jaw. "Anyone ever tell you that you hit like a man, precious? And that you and Dean are well matched?"

She continued her glare, but faint alarm bells were dinging in the back of her mind at his words. "Where are they?" she demanded again.

He smiled jovially. "Learning a lesson, precious. They're fine."

She nodded. "Good. Take me to them."

He shook his head. "No."

Her eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"

He sighed. "Precious, I like you. I don't want to put you through what they have to go through. You're better than that."

She rolled her eyes. "Please, don't feed me that crap. You're worried I'll figure it out before they do."

He laughed. "Maybe, you are too smart for your own good." He held his hands up. "Just chill here for a while, okay? Your boys will be safe."

She put her hands on her hips. "And who, exactly, are you to be teaching us lessons?"

He just stared at her, then leaned forward to press two fingers against her forehead. As warm healing wrapped around her hand, she gasped in sudden realization.

"Oh. My. _God."_

He frowned. "What?"

She backed away slowly, holding her hands up. "You're an angel."

His eyebrows raised, and he smiled. "Someone slip a mickey in your power shake, precious? I'm a _trickster."_

She shook her head, eyes wide. "No, you're an angel. That's why you can heal me. And that's why you can get into my dreams so easily."

He shook his head. "All part of the trickster package."

"No," she said, firm in her belief. "You're an angel. Which one?"

He stared at her. "Piper, I'm not an angel."

She rolled her eyes. "Convincing."

He sighed and turned back toward the door. "Look, precious, I don't know what you _think_ you know, but trust me, I'm not angelic in the least."

 **xxxxx**

She was examining the room for ways to get the hell out of it (she'd never done it before, he'd always knocked her out rather quickly when she was here) when the door opened.

She whirled, her eyes widening when she saw Cass. _He looks like shit._

He looked relieved when he laid eyes on her. "Piper."

She rushed over to him, throwing her arms around his neck to hug him tight. "Cass, what did that bastard do to you?"

He hesitated, then crushed her to him. It was strangely comforting. "We need to go."

She leaned back and looked at him. "Cass, who is he?"

He shook his head. "I don't know, but he's an extremely powerful angel. We need to go now."

She nodded. "Do you know where Dean is?"

"No. But once you are safe, I will find him."

She nodded and reached down to thread her fingers through his cold ones. "All right, let's go then."

When he turned to open the door, it was gone. Dread flooded through her. "Shit."

 **xxxxx**

"Okay, stake didn't work. So, what, this is another trick?"

Dean could barely think through his frustration. The stake hadn't killed the damn thing, Cass had been blasted to God knew where, and Dean still didn't know where the hell Piper was.

"I don't know," Sam said, as the car, which was also freaking Dean out. "Maybe the stake didn't work because it's not a trickster?"

Dean frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You heard Cass. He said this thing was too powerful to be a trickster."

Dean thought for a moment. "And did you notice the way he looked at Cass? Almost like he knew him."

"And how pissed he got when you brought up Michael and Lucifer."

"Son of a bitch," Dean growled. "I think I know what we're dealing with."

Dean was really fucking tired of angels messing with his life.

 **xxxxx**

"Maybe you've always been an angel."

Dean watched the ring of fire spring up around the "trickster" dispassionately. Dean was _pissed._

The angel looked incredulous, and laughed. "What the hell are you smoking, hombre? A _what?"_

Dean shrugged. "I'll tell you what. You just jump out of the holy fire and we'll call it our mistake."

The trickster frowned, then clapped. They were back in the warehouse, where they'd started. There was still no sign of Cass or Piper.

Dean frowned. "Where the hell are Cass and Piper?"

The trickster ignored the question. "Where'd I screw up?"

Dean shook his head, so done with angel bullshit he could barely see straight. "No, see, here's the thing. I don't care about whatever deal you got goin' on. I don't care if you hate Daddy and your brothers, I don't care if you hate us. I care about Piper, and I care about Cass. So if you don't tell me where they are, I'm leavin' your ass here forever."

He looked over at Sam, worried that his brother would argue. To his surprise, Sam just crossed his arms and nodded. "Damn right. Where's Piper and Cass?"

The angel rolled his eyes. "Jeeze, a broken record, the two of you."

"Dean!"

Dean turned and caught Piper when she tossed herself into his arms. He held her tight, inhaling her scent, willing himself to calm down. "Hey, kitten, you all right?"

She nodded. "Yeah, you?"

He leaned back and grinned. "Better now."

She smiled then turned to throw herself at Sam, too. Dean watched his younger brother grin and hug her hard. "Glad you're all right, Pipe."

Dean looked over at Cass, who was staring at the angel. "Hello, Gabriel."

Dean blinked. "Gabriel? As in _archangel?"_

Gabriel nodded. "In the flesh." He turned back to Castiel. "Hey, little bro. How's the search for Daddy going? Let me guess. Awful."

Dean had had enough. "We're out of here. Come on, Sammy, Pipes."

He turned to leave, but Piper did not. She had stepped away from Sam, and was staring at Gabriel with her arms wrapped around her middle. "I want to know why."

Dean frowned. "He wants us to 'play our roles.' He wants us to say yes."

She didn't look away from the archangel, who was looking at her with remorse in his eyes. "Yes, but why do you care?" she asked softly. "You've been, what, in hiding? For millennia? Why do you care now?"

He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

Dean watched as Piper hit an archangel with those big hazel eyes, and wondered if they would work on Gabriel like they'd worked on everyone else so far.

"Will you help us stop it?"

The archangel looked pained, but he shook his head. "You do not know my family. What you guys call the apocalypse, I used to call Sunday dinner. That's why there's no stopping this, because this isn't about a war. It's about two brothers that loved each other and betrayed each other. You'd think your boys would be able to relate."

Sam frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Gabriel looked between Dean and Sam, pointedly ignoring Piper's gaze. "You sorry sons of bitches. Why do you think you two are the vessels? Think about it. Michael, the big brother, loyal to an absent father, and Lucifer, the little brother, rebellious of Daddy's plan. You were born to this, boys. It's your destiny! It was always you! As it is in heaven, so it must be on earth. One brother has to kill the other."

Piper shook her head. "Screw you. No."

The angel was finally looking at her again, and Dean saw real desperation in the pleading in Gabriel's eyes. "Why do you think I've always taken such an interest in them, precious? Because from the moment Dad flipped on the lights around here, we knew it was all gonna end with them. Always."

Piper turned to look away, a hard glint in her eye. "That's not going to happen. You can go fuck yourself, we'll find a way to stop this without you."

Dean found himself actually feeling bad for the archangel when he winced. "Precious, don't-" Gabriel began.

Piper took Dean's hand and looked up at him, her hazel eyes shining. "Can we go home now? I'm tired of angels." She smiled and turned to Castiel. "Except for you, wings."

Dean pressed a kiss to her forehead, relief that she was all right washing through him again. "Yeah, kitten, let's get out of here."

They turned to walk away, and only Dean's hand in hers stopped Piper from walking out when Gabriel spoke.

"You're just gonna, you're gonna leave me here forever?"

Dean turned back. "No. We're not, 'cause we don't fuck with people the way you do. And for the record? This isn't about some prize fight between your brothers or some destiny that can't be stopped. This is about you being too afraid to stand up to your family."

He raised his hand to pull the fire alarm, but Cass's voice stopped him. "Dean, wait."

Dean turned to look at him. Castiel was looking at his brother. "I'll do it. Let me speak to him."

Dean shared a quizzical look with Piper, then looked back at Cass. "All right. Don't take too long."

He walked out with Piper, leaving the angels in the warehouse. When they got to the Impala, he turned her to face him and picked her up , lifting her so she was sitting on the trunk. He settled himself between her legs and buried his face in her neck. "Scared me, kitten."

He felt her smile. "You scared me, too, handsome."

Dean felt the car dip and raised his head to see Sam leaning against the car next to Piper. "No one cares who scared _me,_ huh?" He asked, winking at Piper.

She laughed and leaned over to throw her arms around Sam's neck and place a kiss against his cheek. "I'm glad you're okay, too, Sammy," she said softly. Sam chuckled.

She turned back to Dean and smiled, and he felt his heart get lighter. "I wonder what Cass is saying to him?" he thought out loud.

She nestled closer to him. "I hope he's tearing him a new asshole."

 **xxxxx**

Castiel stared at his big brother, and wondered at the emotions flowing through him. But he didn't have time to worry about them now. He had people to protect. "What is your business with Piper Finley?"

Gabriel blinked, and then grinned. "Got a little crush, Cassie?"

Castiel didn't understand what that meant, so he chose to ignore it. "Do you intend to harm her?"

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "If I wanted to harm her, I would have."

Castiel strode forward, anger taking a front seat. "Gabriel, is Piper Finley safe from you?"

Gabriel sobered. "Of course she is. I mean… Yes. She's safe. I do not intend to harm her."

"Why have you been visiting her dreams?" Castiel was burning with a million questions for his big brother, but Piper Finley's safety was important to him. She was… She was his friend. And he wanted to protect her.

Gabriel sighed. "Because… Because I like her." He smiled. "Always have. Even when Dad was making the plan for this whole showdown, she was always my favorite part."

Castiel frowned. "She… Seems to have that effect, yes."

Gabriel chuckled. "Girl's going to worm her way into heaven just by being nice."

Castiel stared at his brother. "Of course Piper will go to heaven. She is a very good person."

Gabriel chuckled again. "I don't mean it like that. I mean she'll probably be running it a week after she gets there."

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi everyone! Here's my notes:**  
 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**  
 **Reviews, comments, and kudos give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**  
 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	54. I'm Sorry For Everything

_The first time Dean Winchester realized he was in love with Piper Finley, it was because he was going to hell._

 _The morning after he made love to her,_ actually _made love to her, he watched her make breakfast. She was quiet and tense, her movements quick and nervous, and he knew it was his fault. It was always his fault._

" _Stop it, Dean," she said softly, bringing him a cup of coffee and pressing a kiss to his cheek._

" _Stop what?"_

 _She rolled her eyes. "Stop feeling guilty. It's making me feel guilty for making you feel guilty, and it's confusing. So cut it out."_

 _He stared at her, a little dumbfounded. "Pipes, I…"_

 _Her soft finger on his lips stopped his words. "Stop it, Dean. It's all right. We'll figure something out, okay?"_

 _She moved away to finish cooking, and he watched the way she moved, the way her braid was draped over her shoulder, covering some of the hickeys and bruises on her neck. He couldn't imagine what he would do without her._

 _And now he'd cursed her to be without him._

Dammit.

 **xxxxx**

Dean sat on the bed and fiddled with the ring he'd bought for Piper, wrestling with indecision. Did he just give it to her? Did he get down on one knee? What did she expect? What did she _deserve?_ Did she want something elaborate and planned, because that might be beyond him. Did she want something simple? He could do simple. But he didn't just want to toss it at her, tempting as that was, it was a copout.

 _For fuck's sake._ He was _nervous._ Give him a nest of vamps to hunt any day, and he could go in fearlessly. Give him a girl who weighed about a buck fifty, with hazel eyes and purple hair, and he froze.

 _Dammit._

The sound of sneakers on gravel had him slipping the ring back into his wallet and putting his wallet in his jacket just as the door opened. The sight of Piper laughing with Sam made him smile.

She turned to look at him and beamed. "Hey, you," she said happily, coming to press a kiss to his cheek.

He slid his hands up her legs and to her waist, turning his head to catch her lips with his. She smiled against him and pushed at his hands. "Dean, I'm sweaty and gross," she complained. "Let me shower before you get handsy."

He leaned back and grinned. "I can be handsy _in_ the shower."

"It's like I'm not even in the room," Sam said loudly. "Can you see me?"

Piper laughed and Dean rolled his eyes. His phone buzzed and he pulled it out while shooting Sam a bitchface.

It was a text from Chuck.

" _Life or death situation. 8799 Pineview Rd, Virginia, MN."_

"Guys," he said, tensing. "We've gotta go."

 **xxxxx**

Piper frowned when they pulled up to the hotel, noting that there were several Impalas just like Baby parked there. "What the hell?" Dean followed her gaze and frowned, too.

Sam opened his door. "Guys, come on."

They got out of the car and approached the hotel. Piper spotted Chuck at the top of the steps. "Chuck! Hey!"

Chuck looked and his eyebrows went up. "Piper? Guys?"

They climbed the steps. "What's going on?" Dean asked, his big hand on the small of Piper's back, warming the corners of her heart, making her feel safe.

Chuck, however, apparently did not feel safe. "Ah, nothing. You know, I'm just kinda hanging. What are you guys doing here?"

Dean stared at the author for a second. "You told us to come."

Chuck's eyes widened. "Ah, no, I didn't."

Dean threw his other hand up. "We drove all night!"

"I'm sorry, I don't understand what could… Oh, no…"

Piper frowned. "What?"

A piercing squeal cut through the air. _"Sam!_ You made it!"

Piper bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing as Becky descended the stairs and skidded to a stop inches from Sam. Sam looked at her warily. "Oh, ah, Becky, right?"

She squealed again. "Oh, you remembered!" She pitched her voice low and leaned forward. "You've been thinking about me."

Piper laughed out loud, unable to stop herself. Dean tugged her closer to him, fighting a smile himself.

Chuck, however, was glaring at her. "Becky, did you take my phone?"

She whirled toward him. "I just borrowed it from your pants!"

Chuck winced and ran a hand down his face. "Becky," he said warningly.

"What?! They're gonna wanna see it!"

"See what?" Dean and Sam asked in unison.

Becky screamed again. "Oh. My. God. I love it when they talk at the same time!"

"I'm gonna need a shot if she's going to stick around," Dean muttered in Piper's ear. She grinned.

A man stepped out of the hotel wearing a headset. "Chuck? Come on pal, it's showtime."

Becky sprinted up the stairs, and Chuck turned to look at them mournfully. "I'm sorry. For everything."

They followed him in. As they walked in, a man dressed in a very similar manner to Dean spotted Piper and approached her. Her eyes widened as he got close.

"Hey, Pipes," he said in a gravelly voice. "Why don't you say my name anymore?"

Her eyebrows went up, and she placed a hand on Dean's chest when he growled and tried to take a step forward. "Excuse me?" she asked.

The man stepped back and stared at her. "You know, say my name? The book where Piper and Dean finally get together?" His voice was normal now, confusing her more.

She stared back. "What?" she asked weakly. Dean put an arm around her waist and pulled her to him, her back pressed against his chest.

The man put his hands up. "Oh, God, sorry, didn't realize you already had a Dean." He shot them a salute. "Have a good time, guys!"

"What?" she asked again, to no one in particular.

"Becky," Sam ground out. "What the hell is this?"

"It's awesome!" Becky chirped. "The first _Supernatural_ convention!"

Piper stared around at people dressed as monsters, as Dean and Sam, as _her,_ for God's sake. "Oh, dear," she said softly, suddenly glad that Dean was holding her when she noticed the ratio of Deans to Pipers in the crowd. She leaned back into him. "Do not leave me alone for a second, understand me, Winchester?"

He pulled her tight against him and pressed a kiss to her temple. "Whatever you say, kitten."

 **xxxxx**

Dean was so irritated he could barely see straight. He left Piper with Sam and went to the bar.

After taking a shot, he looked down to see the actress who was playing the ghost looking at her phone. He smiled and walked toward her. "How ya doin'?"

She didn't look up. "Busy."

He tried again, thinking maybe she knew of a way to shut this stupid little shindig down, and hoping that Piper wasn't anywhere close by. He didn't feel like getting eviscerated. "Well you sure look lovely tonight. Especially for a dead chick." When he tried to look past the makeup and the dress, she really was kind of pretty. Not Piper pretty, but then again, who was?

She didn't look up. "Buddy, I have heard that line seventeen times tonight, okay? And all from dudes wearing MacGyver jackets." She finally looked up at him, and Dean trusted what thirty-one years of interacting with women had taught him and just smiled at her.

Finally, she smiled back. "But you seem different."

He smirked. "How so?"

"Well, you don't seem scared of women."

"Oh, he's scared of one."

Dean winced and turned to see Piper standing there, arms crossed and eyebrow cocked. He gave her what he hoped was a winning smile. "Hi, baby."

She walked forward, put a hand on the back of his neck, and pulled him down to kiss him hard. His mind went blank, and he dropped the shot glass in his hand to put his hands on her hips and pull her tight against him, ignoring the shattered glass.

After a few long moments, she pulled away and smirked up at him. "That's what I thought, Winchester."

 **xxxxx**

They were walking through the hotel, and Piper was warming to the whole experience. The brothers didn't understand why people would want to dress up as them, or pretend to be them, but Piper got it. They wanted to be heroes.

They had just overheard someone claim to be _actually_ beaten up by an _actual_ ghost, and they were in their way to investigate. Dean kept Piper's hand wrapped in his, and gave death stares to anyone whose eyes lingered on her too long.

As they walked through, Piper heard a manager talking to two cosplayers. "Why yes agents Jagger and Richards. As manager of this fine establishment I can assure you it is indeed haunted."

She rolled her eyes as the three of them made their way to the front desk. When they got there, Dean leaned forward to talk to the actual manager of the hotel. "Excuse us, mind if we ask you a few questions?"

The manager rolled his eyes. "Look, I don't have time to play Star Wars, guys. Go ask the guy in the ascot."

Dean slid a fifty across the desk. Piper blinked… Had he even pulled his wallet out? Why was he just keeping cash in his pockets now?

"Actually," Dean continued, "We really want to talk to you."

The manager's eyebrows went up. "Okay, you guys are really into this."

Piper smiled. "You have no idea."

 **xxxxx**

"Ah, what does the future hold for Sam and Dean? Well, how do you feel about angels? Yeah, because let me tell you, they're not nearly as lame as you think."

Piper was watching Chuck try to stall on stage, her nerves beating at her sense of peace.

Of _course_ there was an actual haunting at this stupid convention. All she wanted to do was leave, and now they had to stay at this stupid hotel until the guys got rid of the ghosts. Piper had been hit on by "Dean" more times than the actual Dean had ever hit on her. And the next time a stranger called her, "kitten," heads were going to roll.

She was shaken from her reverie a question.

"Hi, I'm wondering what Piper sees in Dean? I mean, he still hits on other women, he's a borderline alcoholic, and he and Sam are kind of dangerously codependent. Piper is such a strong character, why would she stay?"

Fury flashed through her, and tried to control herself. Chuck looked over at her nervously, and he must have seen her anger on her face, because his eyes widened. "Well, uh, actually, I have somewhat of a Piper expert here, so I'm going to let her field that question." He held the microphone out to her.

Piper glared at him. When it looked like Chuck wasn't going to back down, she stood and took it, trying to get her thoughts together so she didn't just start screeching at the woman.

She thought about the way she'd caught Dean hitting on that actress. And the way he drank too much, and the way he on occasion still went all alpha male on her and tried to get her to stay home. His penchant for getting into too much danger, his eagerness to sacrifice himself for his family. His stubbornness. His drinking. His driving.

She smiled. "The reason Piper stays with Dean…"

 **xxxxx**

Dean groaned and walked toward the auditorium to let everyone out. "I friggin' hate ghosts."

Sam chuckled. "You hate everything, Dean." He thought for a moment. "Except Piper."

Thinking of the ring still safe in his jacket, Dean smiled. "Except Piper."

He opened the door quietly, thinking to just signal Chuck that he could stop. When he was greeted with Piper's voice over the sound system, he snuck inside instead, Sam following quietly.

Piper was up on stage, smiling. "The reason Piper stays with Dean is because she loves him. Yeah, he hits on women and drinks too much, but she didn't want him to _change_ when they got together. I mean, what's the point of wanting someone if you want to change everything about them?"

Dean frowned. _That doesn't sound great._

"It's the way he always takes care of the people he loves, like Bobby, and Sam. It's the way he saves people and doesn't expect anything in return. It's the way he's willing to put himself in danger to make sure strangers make it out."

 _That's better._

She smiled. "But it's… More than that. I mean, the books don't show you the everyday stuff he does for her. Like tasting her coffee to make sure it's right before handing it to her, or when he holds her hand when they're walking to the car. You can't… You don't get to see how absolutely _drenched_ in love every part of her life is because of him."

There were tears in her eyes as she spoke to the crowd, and Dean was fighting back some moisture in his own eyes. "Dean Winchester is a hero," she said softly, "And so is his brother. And I'm glad to be in love with Dean, and Sam's best friend, because they're the best damn men who've ever walked the earth."

This was it. Before she saw him, he should be on one knee. He could feel it, _this was it._

She spotted Dean, and before he could speak, she had dropped the microphone and hopped off of the stage. He opened his arms and caught her, spinning her around once and burying his face in her neck. He let go of the moment, suddenly sure there would be another one soon.

He felt her smile. "I love you, Winchester."

"You, too, kitten."

 **xxxxx**

Piper felt like she was floating with happiness when they walked back to the Impala. Despite everything, the way Dean's hand wrapped possessively around hers made her heart sing.

Dean opened the door for her and let her slide into the backseat. She smiled up at him. "Thank you, Mr. Winchester."

The look on his face was strange. "You okay?" she asked, concerned.

He nodded slowly. "Yeah, yeah, I'm all right."

"You are not gonna believe this," Sam said from behind her. "But I have a lead on the Colt."

Piper turned around. "Really?"

He nodded. "Long story. I'll tell you guys on the way. Let's head back to Bobby's."

 **xxxxx**

Hi everyone! Here's my notes:

I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)  
Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.  
If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.


	55. What Did You Just Say to Me?

_The moment that Dean Winchester realized that he wanted to marry Piper Finley occurred the day after he was forced into the future by Zachariah._

 _They were laying in bed, and she was running her fingers idly up his stomach. "What do you want for breakfast?" she asked, looking up at him from where her head rested on his shoulder._

 _He looked down at her. "Whatever you want, kitten."_

 _She rolled her eyes and put her hand on his chest to push herself into a sitting position. "You always say that, Dean."_

 _He grinned and appreciated the view as she stood and stretched. "I mean it, kitten."_

 _She smirked over her shoulder. "Yeah yeah, kiss ass. Where are my pants?"_

 _He rolled and propped himself on his elbow to keep watching her as she chattered about reuniting with Sam, what kind of time they could make, and what to get for breakfast._

 _As he listened, it hit him that this was it. He never wanted to be anywhere but here, watching her get dressed. And he never wanted to do anything but talk to her about what to get for breakfast. She was it, she was everything._

 _She was the rest of his life._

" _I love you," he said huskily, wrestling with the emotions in his chest._

 _She turned, her eyebrows raised in surprise. Then she smiled, and it was like the sun came up. "I love you, too, Dean."_

 **xxxxx**

Dean frowned. "That's a _terrible_ plan."

Sam frowned back. "It's the only plan we have, Dean."

Dean ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "God dammit, Sam, I don't want to use Piper as bait."

Sam sighed. "Look, I don't like it either, but what other options do we have?"

"I don't know, _any_ other options?!"

Sam groaned. "Dean, Piper can take care of herself. You can't keep her away from the action all the time."

Dean glared at his brother. "I can do my damnedest."

 **xxxxx**

Dean was sitting on the couch, stewing. Ellen and Jo had gotten in, and Garth had surprised them by arriving just after. Piper was on cloud nine with the whole crew here, cooking and smiling and running the kitchen like a drill sergeant.

It would have been cute if he wasn't so worried about her.

Ellen sat on the couch next to Dean, shaking him out of his thoughts. He smiled. "How's it hangin', Ellen?"

She shrugged. "Gonna try to ice the devil tomorrow, so that's something."

He nodded. "It's going to be dangerous. Listen, you guys don't have to-"

She held up a hand to interrupt him. "Shut up, jackass. We're coming."

He chuckled. "Yes, ma'am."

She looked at him closely for a moment. "So, when are you going to get down on one knee, son?"

He blinked. "What?"

She rolled her eyes. "Piper. When are you proposing?"

He tried to keep the surprise off of his face by taking a swig of his beer. "Never even crossed my mind."

She rolled her eyes again and smacked him upside the head. "Dean, I ain't stupid. If you haven't already bought a ring, I'll eat Bobby's hat."

He shifted uncomfortably, unable to meet her eyes. "I haven't thought about it, Ellen."

She stared at him evenly for a while. "Then you're an idiot, Dean," she said affectionately.

 **xxxxx**

Later, Dean was still glaring at Sam while they piled dishes in the sink, but he couldn't say anything.

He didn't want to put Piper in danger. He didn't want her to come at _all._ He didn't want to use her as bait, he didn't want her walking into the demon's lair with them, and he didn't want her coming with them to try to kill Lucifer.

They convened to the living room, and Piper came in behind him with several beers in her hand to pass out. Very casually, as she handed the last beer to Bobby, she said, "All right, Dean. Let's get this over with."

Dean turned to her with a frown. "What?"

Piper put her hands on her hips. Bobby and Sam were both staring at her with wide eyes. Garth, Ellen and Jo looked on with glittering amusement in theirs. And Piper was glaring at Dean.

"You know what. Let's have it."

He frowned harder. "What the hell are you talking about?"

She smiled sadly. "The conversation we have every time we're about to do something crazy and dangerous, Dean. And if you try to tell me you weren't thinking about it, I'll hit you."

He winced guiltily. "Pipes, come on-"

 _"'Pipes, come on,'"_ she mocked gently, pitching her voice lower when she was speaking as Dean. _"'Pipes, it's dangerous, stay with Bobby.'_ No, Dean, I was a hunter before, and I'm a hunter now, I can handle it. _'This isn't like normal hunting, woman! It's worse, it's more dangerous, kitten, stay here.'_ No, Dean, I'm fine. _'You're not fine, Piper, you're in danger.'_ I'm always in danger, Dean, I'm staying with you. _'God dammit, kitten.'"_

She pointed a finger at him. "Dean Winchester, I've been hunting with you for three years now, and I have made it through just fine. So screw you, I'm staying." She looked at him expectantly. "Anything you'd like to add?"

He was suddenly overwhelmed by her.

She was beautiful. She had always been beautiful, her purple hair falling freely over her shoulder, her hazel eyes snapping fire at him. She was a mind reader, she always knew what he was thinking. She was his one good thing, his best friend, the only damn thing that got him out of bed half the time.

She was _Piper._

And here she was, fighting to stay with him. Always fighting to stay with him.

"Marry me."

She stilled completely, and her eyes widened. He couldn't stop staring at her, the other people in the room faded away. Her pretty mouth dropped open a little, and the whole world seemed to come to a gentle but complete stop.

"What did you just say to me?" she breathed out.

"Marry me, Piper."

"Oh, my God," her hand flew to her mouth, her hazel eyes like saucers over it. "Oh, my God, you said it again."

He fished in his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He rifled through until he found the ring he'd been carrying around for weeks.

"Oh, my God," she whispered.

He walked toward her slowly, gently bending down onto one knee in front of her. "I love you, Pipes. Marry me. Stay with me."

She seemed to be frozen, her right hand clamped over her mouth. Slowly, he took her left hand, his eyes never leaving hers. When he slipped the ring onto her finger, her eyes whipped down to it.

It was a silver band, with a simple line of diamonds across the top. It was pretty, but not overdone. It was simple, but elegant. He'd known as soon as he'd laid eyes on it. Just like he'd known as soon as he'd laid eyes on Piper.

She was silent for a few long moments, but he stayed where he was, kneeling in front of her, giving her time to adjust. For once in his life, Dean Winchester wasn't nervous or scared. He was sure, sure of her answer, sure of his future, sure of Piper.

And a man who's sure is a man who has time to wait.

"Yes," she said softly, looking down at him with tears in her eyes. Her lips tilted up into a smile. "Yes, of course it's yes, yes."

He stood and pulled her close to him, nuzzling her neck as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Say it again," he said huskily, relief and amazement washing through him despite his assurance.

Her arms were around his neck, and her fingers speared themselves through the short hair at his nape. "Yes," she whispered into his ear. "Yes, I'll marry you, yes."

A whoop from the other side of the room brought them out of the little bubble they were in. Garth was grinning like an idiot, and Ellen and Jo had tears in their eyes. Jo rushed forward to pull a laughing and crying Piper into a hug.

Sam grinned and stood, hugging Dean hard. _"Finally,"_ his younger brother said happily, his voice rough with emotion.

Ellen was next, going on tiptoe to wrap her arms around Dean's neck. "Knew you already had it," she said smugly.

Dean shook Bobby's hand, watching as Garth hugged Piper and swing her around. "'Bout time," Bobby grumbled.

Dean grinned, and turned to hug Jo, who had smacked him on the arm and was crying.

When they all settled back down, and Dean pulled Piper into his lap on the couch. She came easily, spinning the ring on her left finger and running her hand through the hair on the nape of his neck.

"So, when do you think you want to do it?" Jo asked, excitement shining in her eyes.

"As soon as possible," Piper said cheerfully. She looked at Dean, and the love in her eyes floored him again. "I'd marry you tomorrow if I could." He grinned.

Garth's eyebrows rose. "Well, I don't want to brag, but I'm ordained."

Bobby frowned. "Why the hell are you ordained, Garth?"

Garth blinked. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Sam sat up, grinning. "We have the Fed suits, and Pipe, you have dresses."

Jo laughed and clapped her hands. "Oh, my God, you guys could get married tomorrow!"

Dean looked up at Piper, peace stealing over his heart. "Up to you, Pipes."

She looked into his eyes for a long time. She put a hand on his face, and he gazed up at her, taking the opportunity to observe how fucking _gorgeous_ she was.

She became even more so when she grinned. "Let's get hitched, Winchester."

 **xxxxx**

"Oh, Bobby, it's beautiful." Piper ran her hand along the beautiful ivory lace in front of her. She looked up at Bobby with tears in her eyes. "But I can't."

He shrugged and didn't meet her eyes. "Ain't nobody else gonna use it."

She tilted her head to the side. "Bobby, come on. This is too much."

He was trying to give her Karen's wedding gown. She was touched beyond belief, and she was shocked. The dress was lovely, with a sweetheart neckline, capped sleeves, and an empire waist. It was gorgeous.

But it was too much. She smiled and held the gown up to her. "Bobby, it's too short. I think I'm probably a little taller than Karen was."

"I can tailor it," Ellen said softly from the doorway. "We can shorten it a little, make it tea length." Her eyes were misty, too.

Piper blinked. "What's happening?"

Bobby met her eyes. "You're mine, Pi. Let me take care of this."

She put the dress back on the bed, then stood and flung herself into Bobby's arms. "Thank you," she whispered softly. "I love you, too, Dad."

 **xxxxx**

That night, Piper flatly refused to sleep in a bed without Dean, despite Ellen's irritated look. She was too excited to sleep, so she made sure the curtains were open so she could admire her ring in the moonlight.

Dean was behind her, his face buried in her hair, his arm tight around her waist. "Like it, kitten?"

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She felt him smile against her. "Good."

She turned in his arms and placed a hand on his face. "I love you," she whispered, her eyes filling with tears.

He kissed her tenderly. "You, too, kitten."

She cuddled into him, nestling her head under his chin. "We're getting married tomorrow," she said softly, in awe.

When he has said the words, "Marry me," her world had tilted up on it's axis. The sight of him on one knee in front of her, asking her to stay with him, was seared into her. It would be with her for a long time.

The happiness bubbling up through her was something she didn't get enough of, so she was going to bask in it while it was here.

She heard the smile in his voice. "Mrs. Piper Winchester, huh?"

The emotions in her chest spilled over, and instead of responding, she cried softly into his chest.

And he held her.

 **xxxxx**

Sam had rarely been so happy. His big brother and his best friend were getting married. He knocked gently on Piper's bedroom door the next day. "Piper? It's me."

The door opened a sliver to reveal Jo. Her eyes were narrowed. "Is Dean with you?"

He grinned and shook his head. "Nope, just me."

"Come on in, Sammy," Piper's voice called out.

He stepped in, admiring Jo's lovely legs in the dress she was wearing. But when he turned, his mind went blank when she saw Piper.

She was turned and smiling at him. She was wearing an ivory lace dress that fell to just below her knees, with a wide ribbon around her waist. Her feet were bare, and her long, lavender hair was loose around her shoulders.

Her eyes were glowing. She walked toward him with a soft smile. "What do you think?"

"You're beautiful, Pipe," he said honestly. She was.

She went up on tiptoe to press a kiss to his cheek. "Thank you, Sammy."

Jo smiled and slipped out the door. "I'm gonna go make sure Dean's ready."

 **xxxxx**

Once Sam left, Piper turned back to the mirror and tried to stop grinning like a fool. It was impossible. She felt like she was floating. Almost her whole family was here.

Smiling, she closed her eyes. _Cass?_

The fluttering of wings behind her made her sigh with relief. She turned and smiled. "Hi, wings."

His eyes were wide. "What's happening?"

"Dean and I are getting married in a few minutes, and I was wondering if you'd come?"

Castiel blinked, then a little smile tilted his lips up. "Ah, yes, today is the day, isn't it?"

Suspicious, she glared at him. "Did… Did you know this was going to happen?"

He nodded. "It was written."

She thought about being irritated, but the day was too perfect. So instead, she smiled again. "Will you come?"

 **xxxxx**

Dean was kneeling so Bobby could fix his tie. "Why do I need to wear a tie?"

Bobby smacked him on the side of the head. "Because you're getting married, jackass."

Dean grumbled, but the peace that had soaked into him was too good to be an too much of an ass.

"Dean, listen-" Bobby began.

Dean held up a hand. "Is this where you tell me that if I hurt Pipes, you'll kill me?"

Bobby chuckled. "If you hurt Piper, she'll gut you herself."

Dean grinned. "Yeah, she's great, isn't she?"

Bobby smiled as Dean stood. "I'm proud of you, son." Bobby said roughly.

Dean fought against the emotions rising in him. Those words from Bobby were probably some of the most important words Dean could ever hear. He wanted to say that he loved him, too. He wanted to tell Bobby how much he meant to Dean, how he had always looked up to him.

But God dammit, he was already getting married, how many girl moments could a man have in a day?

So instead, "Hey, no chick flick moments."

Bobby rolled his eyes. "Idjit."

There was a gentle knock on the door. "Are you guys ready?"

 **xxxxx**

Dean felt his heart stop completely when he saw Piper pushing Bobby in front of her down the makeshift aisle. _Oh, fuck._

They were in Bobby's backyard, the only relatively nice place in the place. Sam and Cass were standing behind Dean, Jo and Ellen were on the other side, Garth was officiating, and _Dean couldn't breathe._

She came and stood in front of him, beaming up at him. He could barely think around the emotions swelling in him.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the love two people have for each other," Garth said happily. "And since there's no reason at all they shouldn't be married, everyone shut your traps and let's do this, since the bride told me if I took too long, I was subject to bodily harm." He turned to Dean. "Dean?"

He had taken some time to memorize their vows. "I, Dean Winchester, take you, Piper Finley, for my lawful wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part." He slipped the ring onto her finger again. They hadn't had time to get an actual wedding band, but Piper had insisted she didn't want one.

"Piper?"

"I, Piper Finley, take you, Dean Winchester, for my lawful husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part." She slipped his mother's wedding ring onto his finger. His right hand felt weird and light without it, but it was short notice, and Pipes had said it felt right. He agreed.

Garth grinned. "Then it is my absolute pleasure to pronounce you husband and wife. You may-"

Dean didn't wait. He took her lovely face in his hands and pressed his smiling lips to his wife's.

 **xxxxx**

Piper was sitting next to Dean at the table, fighting impatience. They were eating dinner, everyone was happy and tipsy. Castiel was drinking Ellen under the table, Sam and Jo were flirting shamelessly, and Bobby and Garth were in deep discussion about something.

And her husband was looking rather delicious with his tie undone and his sleeves rolled up, showing off his tan, muscular forearms. She was itching to touch him.

He was her _husband._ She was so aroused she could barely think straight. And he wasn't helping by rubbing small circles on the inside of her knee with his thumb under the table.

Suddenly, she'd had enough. She leaned over and let her lips brush his ear. "If you're not inside me in the next ten minutes, I'll shoot you."

She smirked when he shuddered and stood. "Taking the missus to bed now," he said simply. He turned and scooped her into his arms. She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck, kicking her bare feet gently in the air.

She didn't get to see anyone's reaction, because by the time anyone spoke, Dean was already shutting the door behind them. He set her on her feet and spun her, pinning her against the wall and taking her hips hard in his hands. He nuzzled her neck, smiling against her when she leaned her head back and sighed.

"Mrs. Winchester," he said formally, just before he bit her shoulder lightly.

She gasped, his actions and his words sending her into a tizzy. "Oh, _fuck,_ Mr. Winchester."

He smiled against her again. "Good girl."

He spun her again, pressing her front against the door. He slowly unzipped her dress, running his rough hand along the flesh he exposed. She shuddered, whimpering a little and leaning back into him.

He slowly slipped the dress off of her shoulders, and it pooled at her feet. Before he could touch her again, she turned and placed a hand on his chest. "Down, boy," she said softly, stepping out of the dress and bending to pick it up. "This isn't ours, we have to take care of it."

She draped it over a chair, then stepped back to admire it. When he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, she leaned back into him again, threading her fingers through his.

They stood silently for a moment, then he dipped his head whisper in her ear. "We were in the middle of something," he growled softly.

She shivered and turned in his arms, smiling up at his handsome face. "Yes, we were."

He lifted her easily, walked to the bed, and tossed her onto it. She laughed softly, but watching him unbuttoned his shirt took her breath away. She twisted and pulled herself up onto her knees so she could push it off of his shoulders, then pulled the t-shirt he was wearing over his head.

He chuckled darkly when her hands went to his belt, and he reached around to take her bra off. "In a hurry, Pipes?"

She looked up to kiss him hard, dragging her teeth along his bottom lip. "Yes," she moaned softly. "I want to fuck my husband."

He groaned into her mouth and pushed her back onto the bed, crawling over her and pinning her there with his weight. "God, it's sexy when you talk dirty," he muttered into her ear, one hand snaking down to rub against her core through her panties.

She arched into his hand and whimpered. "Dean, I'm still willing to shoot you."

He looked up and grinned. "Is this how it's gonna be now, kitten? You're violent when you're married."

Her eyes narrowed. "I'm violent anyway, and this is how it's always been." She wrapped her legs around his waist and pressed into him, gasping when she felt the hard length of him.

Her urgency seemed to spread to him, because he slowly unwound her legs from him and stood to finish undressing. She watched him undo his belt buckle and his pants, smirking at the perfection that she was married to now.

Once he was rid of his clothes, he leaned forward and slowly drew her panties down her legs, kissing a path from her waist to her ankle as he did so. She smiled, feeling loved.

There was a hungry look in his eye when he crawled back up to her and settled between her legs, the tip of his cock pressed against her. "Tell me you love me," he whispered roughly in her ear.

She wrapped her legs around his waist, and her arms around his neck. She pressed a kiss to his shoulder, the pressed her lips to his ear. "I love you, Dean Winchester," she said softly.

She cried out when he thrust into her. He didn't give her time to adjust this time, just set a hard, fast pace. Which was more than all right with her. She met his thrusts each time, quickly catching onto his rhythm. She leaned up and bit his shoulder to keep herself from crying out again.

He started to lose his rhythm, and he reached down touch her. She whimpered into his shoulder at the feeling of his rough fingers on her clit, and the sudden sensation of his mouth against her ear.

"Come for me, kitten, come on, baby-"

She couldn't hold it in anymore, so she tilted her head back and wailed as she came, hearing his deep moan as his own orgasm took him.

He gasped and tested his forehead against her shoulder. She smiled, sated and happy, and ran her fingers through his hair.

"Happy wedding day, Mr. Winchester."

 **xxxxx**

Dean woke in the middle of the night to Piper straddling him. He tilted his head back and groaned, running his hands up her smooth thighs to grip her hips. She gasped, and he looked back up to drink in the sight of her, moving sensually on top of him.

She met his eyes. "Tell me you love me," she said softly.

He shuddered, hearing his own words back at him. "I love you," he said softly, comfortable saying it here, just with her, as many times as she needed to hear it.

She moaned and put her hands on his chest, using him as leverage to set a slow rhythm. He rocked up into her, savoring her little whimpers. He ran his hands up her sides, marvelling at her, to cup her breasts, thumbing her nipple and watching her gasp.

It wasn't long before she was clenching around him. "Oh, _Dean!"_

He pumped into her twice more before coming, pleasure rolling lazily through him.

She sighed and collapsed on his chest, breathing heavily. "Jesus."

He laughed, holding her close and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I don't know what he has to do with it."

 **xxxxx**

Piper lay with her head on Dean's bare chest, already half asleep, listening to his soft snores.

They would be back at it the next day. They were hunting the devil. They probably weren't going to live through it

But that was tomorrow, and this was today. And today, she'd gotten married to the love of her life. Today had been perfect.

 _Mrs. Piper Winchester,_ she thought giddily to herself, as she fell asleep on her husband's chest.

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi everyone! Here's my notes:**  
 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**  
 **Reviews, comments, and kudos give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**  
 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**  
 ****3 Oh, friggin' finally. I'm gonna be honest, Dean surprised me with this one. I thought he'd be carrying around that ring MUCH longer than this! I'm so happy to finally be able to share this chapter with you, so please, please, PLEASE tell me what you think!**  
 ****The ring Dean got for Piper is a half eternity band, in case anyone wants to know what it looks like.**


	56. You're a Peach

Their first marital fight happened first thing in the morning.

"I'm coming with you."

"God dammit, Piper, no."

"God dammit, Piper, yes," she said with a smile, pushing a mug of coffee into his hands and pressing a kiss to the stubble on his jaw. "I'm going. Deal with it, Winchester."

She smiled at his irritated grumble, but ignored it and continued to help Ellen make breakfast.

 **xxxxx**

"Baby, come on, stay home," he muttered into her neck later, his hands on her hips as she tried to pull a book from the bookshelf in front of her.

She put her hands on top of his, a little thrill racing through her at the _click_ of their rings, and rolled her eyes. "No, Dean. I'm going with you to get the Colt, and I'm going with you to hunt Lucifer."

He growled a little against her neck, but the way she was pulled tight against him and the wet, open-mouthed kisses he was laying on her told her he was distracted by something else.

Which was good, because she was getting pretty distracted, herself.

She turned in his arms and kissed him, her hands on his huge, hard shoulders. "Dean," she murmured against him, "Let's take this out of the living room."

His hands slid down to her ass and lifted her so she could wrap her legs around his waist.

"Gotta keep the wife happy."

 **xxxxx**

That evening, they finalized the plan while eating leftovers. Piper sat in Dean's lap, and absent-mindedly enjoyed the very pleasant ache her husband had left while listening.

"I still don't see why we can't just break in," Dean protested again. "There's no reason to send Piper in as bait."

Castiel shook his head. "It is far too well protected. There are several guards, and an iron fence that's twelve feet tall."

Piper smiled. "It's fine. I can be bait. Dean's just being obnoxious."

He shifted underneath her, and she turned to meet his glare. "Not scared of you, Winchester," she said evenly. "I can handle myself, and you guys will be right behind me if it gets out of hand." She kissed him gently. "Just shut up and let me do my job," she murmured.

 **xxxxx**

Piper pressed the button on the intercom at the gate, adrenaline buzzing through her veins.

It beeped. "Hello?"

"Hi, my car broke down. I need some help?"

Another beep. "I'll be down in a minute."

Piper waited, bouncing up onto the balls of her feet. _Nothing to do but wait._

The gate swung open and she turned, smiling easily at the two men who approached. "Evening, pretty lady," the closest one said, "Get yourself on in here."

Piper let her eyes widen and her voice shake. "I just need to make a call."

The first man smiled again. "You don't need to call anyone, baby." He glanced back at the other man. "We're the only help you're ever gonna need."

Piper took a step back. "You know what? I think I should wait by my car."

She turned to leave, and had to stifle her smile when he grabbed her arm. She turned around to see that his eyes had gone black. "We said, get your ass in here."

She grabbed his arm and pulled hard, knocking him off balance. Once he stumbled, she brought her elbow up hard into his face, knocking him out cold. As she turned to the other man, she saw the tip of the demon knife run through him, and he flashed with yellow light. He fell, and Sam stood behind him.

While Sam knelt to kill the other demon, Dean approached and kissed her hard. "That was hot," he said in her ear huskily.

She grinned. "You think everything I do is hot."

He leaned back and smirked. "It is."

Sam was rolling his eyes. "Jesus, the two of you. Can we go now, please?"

 **xxxxx**

"We need to talk. Privately."

Dean was tense with anger as the demon Crowley led them into a different room. When Dean had thought Crowley was aiming the gun at Piper, his entire world had stopped.

He grabbed her hand as they followed Crowley, and she gave him a reassuring squeeze. It helped a little, but he was still pissed.

"What the hell is this?" He snapped.

Crowley turned around and waved the gun in the air. "Do you know how deep I could have buried this thing?" He waved his hand and the door shut behind them. Dean jumped, then pulled Piper close and scowled at the demon.

He didn't seem to care. "There's no reason you or anyone should know this even exists, except that I told you."

Sam's eyebrows rose. " _You_ told us."

"Rumors, innuendo, sent out on the grapevine."

"So what is it that you want us to do with it?" Piper asked. When Dean looked down at her, she explained. "Well, he wouldn't have let us know where it is without wanting something from us."

Crowley was giving her an appraising look. "You're not a Winchester."

Dean stifled a grin when she raised her chin proudly. "I most certainly am."

The demon chuckled. "Marrying into the family isn't quite the same, dearest."

She frowned. "My name is Piper, use it. And if you don't tell us what you want, we're leaving."

"I want you to take this thing to Lucifer and empty it into his face."

Piper nodded. "Okay." She strode forward to take it.

Dean frowned. "Why-"

Piper shook her head. "Nope. Don't care why, although it's probably because at the end of the day, Lucifer is still an angel, and he probably doesn't have pleasant plans for demons."

Crowley looked at her with a smirk. "I like you. Much more than these morons."

"I'm thrilled," she said dryly, "But keep your damn mouth off of them if you want our help."

As she took the gun and turned back ,Sam asked, "You wouldn't happen to know where the devil is, by chance, would you?"

"Thursday, birdies tell me, there's an appointment in Carthage, Missouri."

Piper turned back toward the demon. "Ammunition?"

Dean pulled Piper close against him and frowned as Crowley opened a desk drawer. "Uh, excuse me for asking, but aren't you kind of signing your own death warrant? I mean, what happens to you if we go up against the devil and lose?"

Crowley looked at him with a cocked eyebrow. "Number one, he's going to wipe us all out anyway. Two, after you leave here, I go on an extended vacation to all points nowhere. And three, how about you don't _miss,_ okay! Morons!" He smiled at Piper. "Except you, dear, you're a peach."

 **xxxxx**

"It's gotta be a trap, right?"

Dean smirked. "Sam Winchester, having trust issues with a demon." He shrugged and lifted his beer. "Well, better late than never."

Sam glared. "Thank you again for your continued support."

Dean nodded. "You're welcome."

Piper smacked him upside the head on the way by. "Don't be a dick, Dean."

Dean stared after her, rubbing his head. "She's abusive." Sam rolled his eyes, and Dean sobered, thinking that he needed to build back up to his original point. "You know, trap or no trap, we got a snowball's chance, we gotta take it, right?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, I suppose."

"Besides, I'm not sure it is a trap. Check it out. I mean, Carthage is lit up like a Christmas tree with Revelation omens. And look at this." He handed over the papers he'd been looking at. "There's been six missing persons reported, in town, since Sunday. I think the devil's there."

Sam nodded again. "Okay."

Dean sighed. _Dammit._ "Look, when you think about it… You can't come with."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Dean-"

Dean interrupted him. "Look, I go against Satan and screw the pooch, okay. We've lost a game piece. That we can take. But if you're there, then we are handing the devil's vessel right over to him. That's not smart."

"Since when have we ever done anything smart?"

Dean glared at his little brother. "I'm serious, Sam."

"So am I. Haven't we learned a damn thing? If we're gonna do this, we're gonna do it together."

They glared at one another, until Dean heard the click of his and Piper's bedroom door shutting. Sam winced and looked up the stairs. "I, uh, I think Piper heard you."

Dean winced, too, and wondered if he could get away with not going up there to talk to her.

Sam looked at him evenly. "Dean, the longer you don't go after her, the more of an asshole you become."

Dena groaned and drained his beer, slamming it down on the table when he was done. "Shut up, Sam."

He walked up the stairs nervously, just hoping that she wasn't feeling like throwing stuff at him. He hesitated at the door, then knocked gently. "Pipes?"

He could almost _hear_ her roll her eyes. "It's _our_ room, Dean. You don't have to knock."

He smiled. He may be in trouble, but if she wasn't calling him, "Winchester," he probably wasn't in _that_ much trouble.

When he walked in, she was sitting on the bed with her legs crossed beneath her, staring down at her hands. He closed the door behind him gently and came to crouch in front of her. "Pipes?"

She looked up at him, and the fear and sadness in her eyes had him standing so he could pull her into him. He turned and sat back down with her in his lap, her legs stretched across his.

He didn't know what to say, so he stayed silent and just held her. She sighed and nestled into him, and he tucked her head under his chin and closes his eyes, savoring the feel of her in his arms.

"We couldn't take it, you know," she said softly.

He leaned back to look at her. "What?"

She put a soft hand on his face. "If you died. We couldn't take it. Hell, Dean, the first time you died, I didn't have a real conversation with Sam for four months." Her hazel eyes were boring into him, and he felt yet something else in him change because of his wife. "You're not just a game piece, Dean."

Before he could think of something to say, Bobby was shouting from downstairs. "Everybody get in here! It's time for the lineup. Usual suspects in the corner."

Piper smiled and kissed Dean on the cheek. "Come on, handsome, let's go find out what the hell he's talking about."

Ellen was complaining as Dean let Piper lead him down the stairs. "Oh come on, Bobby. Nobody wants their picture taken."

"Hear, hear," Sam said dryly, walking in after her.

"Shut up," Bobby snapped, "You're drinking my beer."

Dean came to stand next to Sam, his other arm wrapped around Piper. Garth stood next to her, with Ellen and Jo on the other side of him. Cass stood on Sam's other side.

Bobby fiddled with the camera, then rolled back to join them. "Anyway, I'm gonna need something to remember your sorry asses by."

Dean smiled for the picture as Ellen snorted. "Ha! Always good to have an optimist around."

"Bobby's right," Castiel said bluntly. "Tomorrow we hunt the devil. This is our last night on earth."

 **xxxxx**

That night, Dean held Piper as she slept. He was too keyed up to sleep, so he just kept her close, worried it would be his last chance.

 _You're not just a game piece, Dean._

 **xxxxx**

"Hellhounds."

Piper tried to stifle her panic as flashbacks of Dean being torn apart slammed through her. She kept her eyes on Meg, because if she looked at Dean, she would lose it.

"Yeah, Dean," Meg smirked, "Your favorite. Come on, boys. My father wants to see you."

Sam scowled. "I think we'll pass, thanks."

Meh shrugged. "Your call. You can make this easy or you can make it really, really hard."

Piper saw Dean glance backwards. She kept her gun trained on Meg.

Dean looked forward again. "When have you known us to ever make anything easy?"

Piper took the words as they signal they were and fired at the invisible hellhound standing next to Meg. "Run!"

They ran. Piper saw Dean go down and her heart stopped. She whirled, gun raised, and her heart stopped again when Jo ran forward, firing.

"Jo! Stay back!" Dean shouted.

Before Piper could think, Jo was tackled from the side. Piper kept running and firing, panic clearing her mind and letting her get in several good shots.

Dean scooped Jo off the ground and ran toward them. Piper stopped running and started backing up slowly, covering Dean as they found somewhere to go.

She stayed where she was and kept shooting, covering her family as they ran, until she felt Sam wrap an arm around her waist and start carrying her to safety.

She fired until he slammed the door behind them.

 **xxxxx**

"Guess we know what happened to some of the townspeople."

Piper nodded, but said nothing. She felt like she had run out of words. Hard, numbing shock had gripped her, and she gave in to it gratefully. There would be time to grieve when they got home.

For now, she intended to kill the son of a bitch who had killed Ellen and Jo.

Sam looked at them. "Last words?"

Dean looked at him strangely, then back at Piper. She stood a few feet away from him. If he touched her, she'd lose it.

Dean shook his head. "I think I'm good."

Sam nodded. "Yeah, me, too."

"Here goes nothing."

Piper stayed next to Sam, creeping around the clearing. There was a man she didn't recognize, filling what seemed to be a giant hole. From the way Sam tensed next to her, she guessed she was looking at the fallen archangel.

Sam raised his shotgun, and so did she. "Hey!" Lucifer turned, dropping the shovel. "You wanted to see me?"

Lucifer smiled. "Oh, Sam, you don't need that gun here. You know I'd never hurt you. Not really." He looked at Piper, and she was suddenly even more grateful for the numbness, because she'd be terrified if she could feel anything.

"Yeah?" Dean asked. "Well, I'd hurt you."

He was standing next to Lucifer, and then, numbness or no, Piper was afraid.

Dean pointed the gun at the devil's head, point blank. "So fuck you." He fired.

Lucifer collapsed. The crowd of men surrounding them did nothing. Piper was tense, she felt like she couldn't relax yet. That had been _way_ too simple.

She was proven right when Lucifer inhaled sharply and started to move. "Ow."

When he stood, Sam grabbed her and pushed her behind him. Irritated, she moved to stand next to him. _Idiot._ She would stand next to him if this was the night they died.

Lucifer turned to Dean, who looked shocked. "Where did you get that?" the devil asked thoughtfully. Then he reared back and punched Dean hard. Dean flew back into a tree and collapsed.

"Dean!" Piper cried. She ran to him, falling to her knees when she got there to check his pulse. Lucifer was speaking behind her, but she was focused on Dean. "Dean, baby, wake up for me." She checked his pulse and exhaled sharply when it was there, as strong and steady as ever.

She was joined by Sam, who put one of his hands on her back and the other on Dean's leg. "Is he…"

"He's alive, Sam," she said softly.

She stood and turned to face Lucifer, and Sam did the same next to her.

Lucifer was looking at them with pity, which made Piper's hackles rise. "Don't feel too bad, guys. There's only five things in all of creation that gun can't kill, and I just happen to be one of them. But if you give me a minute, I'm almost done."

He turned back to shoveling dirt into the hole, then switched back to them, leaning on the shovel. "You know, I don't suppose you'd just say yes here and now? End this whole tiresome discussion? That's crazy, right?"

"Fuck you," Piper growled.

"It's never gonna happen!" Sam snapped.

Lucifer smiled coldly and went back to digging. "Oh, I don't know, Sam. I think it will. I think it'll happen soon. Within six months. And I think it'll happen in Detroit."

"You listen to me, you son of a bitch," Sam snarled. "I'm gonna kill you myself, you understand me? I'm going to rip your heart out!"

Piper put a hand on his arm. "Chill, Sam, he _wants_ you to be angry."

Suddenly, Lucifer's gaze sharpened as he looked at her. "And who is _this?"_

Piper didn't dignify that with a response, just turned to look at Sam. He looked much calmer, and there was gratitude in his eyes when he looked back at her. Then he looked around at the crowd of people standing around them. "What did you do? What did you do to this town?"

Lucifer waved a hand. "Oh, I was very generous with this town. One demon for every able-bodied man."

"And the rest of them?" Piper asked, horrified. She knew what the answer was before she asked.

Lucifer sighed and looked down into the hole. "In there." Piper closed her eyes for a moment and put a hand over her mouth. "I know," Lucifer continued, "it's awful, but these horsemen are so demanding. So it was women and children first. I know what you must think of me, Sam. But I have to do this. I have to. You of all people should understand."

Sam tensed again. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Piper snapped, glaring at Lucifer. "Let me guess. A big brother who obeys his father and a younger brother who rebels. Ugh, this same story over and over and _over_ again." She put her hands on her hips and stepped in front of Sam, who seemed to be too shocked to respond.

She was a little surprised herself, but her emotions had come back, and they had come back _angry._ She was so tired of these damn angels, and their damn meddling, and their using the Winchesters like tools. Well, she was a Winchester, too, now, and things were going to change if she had something to say about it.

"You're just like all of the other angels," she fumed. "You're just big, powerful children, throwing temper tantrums because Daddy isn't around."

Lucifer tilted her head, controlled fury in his eyes. "And _who,_ exactly, do you think you are? That you get to lecture me?" He held his hand up when she opened her mouth. "I'm sure this would be fascinating, but you'll have to excuse me. Midnight is calling, and I have a ritual to finish." He winked at her. "Don't go anywhere. Not that you could if you would."

When he turned to start chanting, the fire went out of Piper. Suddenly scared, she turned back to kneel beside Dean, who was beginning to stir.

"Now repeat after me. We offer up our lives, blood, souls," Lucifer chanted.

"We offer up our lives, blood, souls," the demons repeated.

"To complete this tribute."

"To complete this tribute."

The demons started to flash golden light and fall over. It looked like they were… _Dead._ Piper stared, horrified.

Lucifer turned back to look at them and shrugged. "What? They're just demons."

The ground started to tremble beneath them. Dean grabbed her around the waist and held her close, looking around for escape.

Before they could, Castiel appeared. He touched a finger to Dean's forehead, then Sam's, and the world swirled around them. When it came back, they were standing in Bobby's living room again.

Piper swayed on her feet, the events of the day finally starting to set in. "Oh, fuck."

 **xxxxx**

That night, Dean held Piper as she cried. He was upset, too, but he felt more guilty than anything.

Because in the moment when Jo had declared that she was gonna stay behind to die, the only emotion coursing through Dean had been gratitude that it wasn't Piper who had gotten hurt.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead, murmured soothing nonsense, and let this new guilt join the heaviness he always carried in his heart.

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**  
 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	57. Try to Change Everything

"Well, looks like Tom Cruise was right. Shrinks suck."

Dean was exhausted after the fight with the wraith, the talk with the pretend psychiatrist, and whatever was going on with Sam, who thought he was subtle but was actually pretty damn obvious. Dean just wanted to go home to Piper.

When they had gotten the call from Martin, asking for help, Dean had asked Piper if she wanted to come, but she had elected to stay home and try to find a way to kill the devil. He had agreed, knowing that she was probably staying home to grieve. Which he was all right with.

He reached the driver's side door, but Sam was still standing at the trunk. "What are you doing?" When he got no response, Dean frowned. "Sam? You okay?"

"No. No, the wraith-"

Irritated, Dean snapped, "What about her?"

"She was right."

"No, she wasn't. She's dead, okay? Let's hit the road. I wanna get home. If we book it, we can make it in time for breakfast."

Sam ignored him. "Most of the time, I can hide it, but… I _am_ angry. I'm mad at everything. I used to be mad at you and Dad, then Lilith, now it's Lucifer, and I make excuses. I blame Ruby or the demon blood, but it's not their fault. It's not them. It's me. It's inside me. I'm mad… All the time… And I don't know why."

Exasperated, Dean stepped closer. "Stop. Stop it. So what if you are? What are you gonna do? You gonna take a leave of absence? You gonna say yes to Lucifer? What?"

Sam frowned. "No, of course not. I-"

"Exactly. And that's exactly what you're gonna do. You're gonna take all that crap and you're gonna bury it. You're gonna forget about it, because that's how we keep going! That's how we don't end up like Martin! Are you with me?"

Sam got a mulish look on his face. "Did you say that to Piper when she stayed behind?"

Dean saw red for a moment, and seriously considered punching his brother in the face. Instead, he closed his eyes and fought his temper back, then opened them to look at Sam.

He pointed a finger at his younger brother. "Fuck you. Piper stayed behind because we fucked up with Lucifer, and this was _our_ favor to keep, not hers. So keep your goddamn mouth off of her when you're mad. Got it?"

Sam looked a little ashamed, which cooled Dean's urge to hit him. "Whatever."

Dean cocked an eyebrow. "Come on, man. Are you with me?"

"I'm with you."

"Good. Let's get the hell out of here."

 **xxxxx**

Before they were even an hour out, Sam got a call from their childhood babysitter, who sounded like she had a ghost on her hands.

"Gonna have to miss breakfast and Piper," Sam said, slipping the phone back into his pocket.

"Fuck."

Dean hit the accelerator. The faster they were done with this, the faster he got to see her again.

 **xxxxx**

"She doesn't like Satan, you moron. She likes you."

Dean listened to Sam give the kid a pep talk carefully. Piper had told him to try to understand what Sam was going through, so that they could work through it as a team. Dean thought that wasn't going to work, but he wasn't going to tell _her_ that.

She scared him.

"Really? You think?" Gary asked, surprised.

Sam nodded. "Yeah, I know. I'm telling you, kid, I wish I had your life."

Gary grinned. "You do? Thanks."

"Get out of here."

Dean watched the kids go back to the house. "That was a nice thing to say," he commented when Sam got back to the car.

"I totally lied. That kid's life sucked ass. All that apple-pie, family crap? It's stressful. Trust me, we didn't miss a damn thing."

Dean thought about Piper, about having a normal life with her someday. A regular job, where they came home at the end of the night and bitched about their day on the couch. About watching movies on the weekends with her, or following her around the city as she explored. He thought about maybe, just maybe, seeing her belly start to swell with their child, the way her eyes would glow, or the way she would complain about being pregnant.

"Or we don't know what we're missing."

 **xxxxx**

Dean woke up from an _excellent_ dream about his wife that Anna had interrupted, and he was already irritated.

He suspected he wouldn't be getting to see Piper any time soon.

"Fuck."

 **xxxxx**

"She's in nineteen seventy-eight. She's gonna try to kill our parents, Cass thinks."

Piper closed her eyes and leaned her head back, wishing he was with her instead if on the phone. "That doesn't sound like Anna."

"Well, you remember how Cass was after heaven got their hands on him."

She nodded, remembering the cold way the angel had spoken to her. "Yeah, you're right." She sighed. "So, what's the plan?"

The silence on the other end of the line told her she wasn't going to like it. "Dean…"

"Cass is gonna take us back to save them."

She frowned. "Back to nineteen seventy-eight?"

"Yeah, to try to save mom and dad."

Suddenly, her heart seized, and she closed her eyes in understanding. "And try to change everything," she said softly. "So you don't grow up hunters." _So we never meet?_

There was silence on the other end, and she had her answer.

"Well, where are you guys?" She asked briskly, keeping her voice even. "I can come to the motel and keep watch."

The pain in his voice broke her heart. "Piper, I-"

"Stop, handsome," she said softly. "It's okay, I understand. Just… Just make sure to do it right, okay? No botched new lives, no crazy consequences."

"Piper…"

"Where are you guys, Dean?"

He hesitated, then rattled off the address. She jotted it down on a piece of paper, hand trembling. "All right, I'll leave ASAP."

"Piper, if this works, I'll find you. I'll always find you, kitten."

She smiled, all warm and fuzzy despite not believing him. For all his big tough exterior, the man she'd married was a romantic. "It's a date, Winchester."

 **xxxxx**

She broke into the motel room easily. When she looked around, a few things had been knocked over. She frowned. "Rough takeoff." She neatened the room, partially because it needed to be done, partially to keep her hands busy.

She was terrified of what was going to happen. She had faith in Dean, and if he could change the past, he would. But what did that mean for her?

Would her parents still die? Would she die right along with them? Or would they all live? Would Dean really find her? If he did, would they fall in love?

When she was done cleaning, Piper sat on the bed to wait for three of the most important men in her life to come back, and she let these questions plague her.

 **xxxxx**

"You know, unlike my brothers, I won't leave you a drooling mess when I'm done wearing you."

Dean winced, fear and anger warring in him. "Well, what about my dad?"

Michael, wearing a young John Winchester's face, smiled. "Better than new. In fact, I'm gonna do your mom and your dad a favor."

Dean frowned. "What?"

"Scrub their minds. They won't remember me or you."

Panic welled in Dean's heart. "You can't do that."

"I'm just giving your mother what she wants. She can go back to her husband, her family-"

"She's gonna walk right into that nursery!"

"Obviously," Michael said scornfully. "And she will die, John will raise you and Sam as brothers, you will go to hell, and you will be the vessel I need to fight my brother." Michael smiled coldly. "You should be grateful for what you have, Dean. Your wife wasn't part of the original plan, you know."

Dean blinked. "Piper?"

The archangel nodded. "I fought for her, for the two of you. I thought she would be… A comfort."

"She's a lot more than window dressing for your little match with Satan," Dean snapped.

Michael turned away. "Of course she is. And you were meant to be." The angel's voice was cold. "You can't fight City Hall, Dean."

Michael crouched and pressed two fingers to Sam's forehead. Sam vanished.

Michael stood. "He's home. Safe and sound. Your turn. I'll see you soon, Dean."

Dean fought not to flinch back when Michael reached out to press his fingers to his own forehead. He did close his eyes, and was glad when the world spun away from him.

He opened them to see Piper being held off the ground by Sam, her face buried in his neck. "Oh, God, Sam."

Dean watched them for a minute, glad they were all together, irritated that it wasn't his arms around Piper.

As soon as Sam set her down, she turned and saw Dean. Her eyes widened, then she launched herself at him. Dean caught her and crushed her to him. He knew he was probably hurting her, but he couldn't stop. Three weeks without her was too long.

"I'm glad you guys are all right," she said softly against his neck.

Despite all of the things that could have been better had they been able to do what they'd set out to do, a small part of him was also glad. He knew he would have found Piper in a changed world, but he had her _now._ "Glad we're back," he said softly, burying his face in her hair.

She leaned back and smiled up at him. "So tell me about it."

 **xxxxx**

Dean was sitting behind Piper on the bed, one leg stretched out beside her and the other resting on the floor, arms around her waist, soaking in her presence. He suspected she was doing the same, because she was leaned back against him and silent.

Sam was pulling out plastic cups and whiskey when Cass appeared behind him.

"Cass!" Piper jumped off of the bed and ran to catch the angel before he fell.

Sam turned around to help. "Hey. Hey, hey. Woah, woah, woah, woah."

Piper was beaming, even as she had to brace herself to hold him up. "Cass, you made it!"

Cass turned and blinked at her. "I… I did? I'm very surprised."

He dropped his head, and Piper looked at Sam. "Let's get him to the bed, Sammy."

Dean stood and moved so they could put the angel on the bed. Castiel lay still, sleeping. Piper sat by him and smoothed the hair away from his forehead, smiling softly.

Dean sighed. "Well, I could use that drink now." He went and poured three drinks, handing one to Sam and one to Piper. "Well… This is it." He knocked most of his whiskey back, savoring the burn.

"This is what?" Sam asked, taking a sip of his own.

"Team Free Will. One ex-blood junkie, one dropout with six bucks to his name, and Mr. Comatose over there, and one woman better than all three of us put together. It's awesome." He smiled bitterly.

Piper was blushing, and she raised her hand to brush his. "Hey, it'll be all right. We'll figure something out."

Sam sighed. "They all say we'll say yes."

Dean nodded. "I know. It's getting annoying."

Sam looked pained. "What if they're right?"

Dean watched Piper stand and go to Sam, wrapping her arms around him and resting her head against his chest. "You won't, Sam," she said softly. His arms came around to hold her loosely. "Neither of you will."

"I've been weak before," Sam said softly, pressing his face into her hair.

Dean frowned. "Sam."

His younger brother looked up at him. "Michael got Dad to say yes."

Dean frowned. "That was different. Anna was about to kill Mom."

Sam frowned back. "What if they threaten to kill Piper, Dean?"

Ice touched the base of his spine, and Dean scowled.

"And if you could save Mom," Sam continued, "What would you say?"

 **xxxxx**

Dean lay with Piper on the floor that night, irritated that she'd insisted that Sam and Cass take the beds, but deeply satisfied to have her next to him again, even if he couldn't touch her like he wanted.

Her head was on his shoulder, her hand drawing idle circles on his bare stomach. She inhaled deeply. "Missed you."

He smiled up at the ceiling. "Missed you, too, Pipes."

She looked up at him, and when he looked down to meet her gaze, the heat on her eyes was like a punch in the gut. She bit her lip, and he could feel the blood leaving his head in a rush. "You know," she whispered, "If we're _very_ quiet-"

He hauled her up and kissed her hard, then flipped her over and pinned her to the blankets with his weight. He put one hand over her mouth and used it to to tilt her head so he could press his lips against her ear.

"Kitten, _you're_ the one who has to stay quiet."

And then he set about making that as hard as possible for her.

 **xxxxx**

Later, after sneaking into the shower, having another round of quiet, passionate sex, he was on his back again, sated and tired, with her head on his shoulder again.

As much as he wanted to be drifting off to sleep, he couldn't. He was still still thinking about what Sam had said, and about what Piper had said before they had gone back in time.

He looked down at her. "Hey, listen."

She looked up and blinked sleepily. "Hmm?"

He wrestled with his words for a minute. "Pipes… You know I'd never give you up."

She blinked, then rubbed her face. "Of course I do. What is this?"

"What Sam said earlier, about-"

Her finger on his lips interrupted him. "Dean, stop it. I would never let you choose between me and a normal life." He frowned at her, and she smiled gently. "Dean, baby, it's no contest. Of _course_ we'll save your mother if we get the chance." Her eyes narrowed. "And if I ever find out that you had the chance and gave it up because of me, I will personally beat you senseless. Are you hearing me, Dean?"

He kissed her fingertip gently and gathered her close. "Yeah, kitten, I'm hearing you."

But he wasn't, not really. Because for the first time in his life, he wasn't sure if he would choose to have a normal life. Not if Piper couldn't be in it with him.

No matter _who_ it would save.

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi everyone! Here's my notes:**  
 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**  
 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**  
 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	58. I'm Not Insane

Piper was struggling.

She was struggling because her husband was handsome, he really should have been in magazines and movies. He had strong arms and legs, covered in just enough coarse hair. He had big hands with long fingers, muscled shoulders that were damn near mouth watering. And his _face_. Piper genuinely couldn't think of a word to accurately describe Dean Winchester's perfect face.

She wanted him. She wanted him in her mouth and on top of her and beneath her and behind her and pushing her up against a wall and taking her into his mouth.

She was _struggling_.

She did have quite a bit of practice wanting Dean and not showing it, luckily, so she was able to mostly keep it together.

If he kept touching her, though, she may lose her mind.

Dean seemed… Cuddly? He was constantly playing with her hair, or his hand was on her knee, or his lips pressed to her. He didn't say anything about it, but there was some sort of raw need coming from him that she was helpless against. So she put a lid on her raging libido and cuddled back.

She was sitting on his lap, flipping the pages of the book in front of them, trying to concentrate on the words instead of the warm strength of the man beneath her, when Sam walked in.

Dean looked up from where his face had been pressed into her shoulder. "How'd it go?"

Sam shook his head. "Um… No EMF, no sulfur. Ghost possession and demonic possession are both probably out."

"Hmm, that's what I was betting on," Piper said softly, frowning. Sam seemed distracted.

The taller hunter shook his head. "Nope."

Dean sighed and rubbed his eyes, keeping the arm around her waist tight. "Well, then what, then? Oh, dude! At the coroner's… You didn't see these bodies. I mean, these two started eating a-and they just…" He gestured with his free hand. "Kept going. I mean, their stomachs were full. Like-like...Thanksgiving dinner full. Talk about co-dependent."

Sam shrugged. "Well, I mean, we got our feelers out. Not much more we can do tonight. All right. I'm just gonna go through some files. You guys can go ahead and get going."

Piper raised her eyebrows. "What?"

Sam tossed a room key onto the table. "Guys, it's your first Valentine's Day as a married couple. I, uh, got you a room down the hall. So I won't have to hear anything."

Piper was on _fire._ She suppressed the urge to squeeze her thighs together and smiled at him. "That's so sweet, thank you, Sam."

Dean grunted behind her, and a cold splinter wormed it's way into her heart. Something was wrong.

They gathered their stuff and went down the hall. Piper watched as Dean opened the door, trying to figure out what was going on with him.

They got in and she set their bags on the bed, so ready to be naked underneath him she could barely think. But when she turned to look at him, the look on his face stopped her cold.

Instead of moving to him to ravish him, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Dean, what's wrong?"

He looked down at her, then wrapped her in his arms and held her tight. "I don't know," he said softly.

She tilted her head back to look at his face. "Okay, is there anything I can do?"

He shook his head and pressed his lips against her forehead. "No, probably just tired."

She fought her libido back, and fought the urge to jump him. He was hurting, and even if he couldn't tell her why, he needed her. So she leaned back and smiled. "Well, let me go shower, and we can go to bed, okay?"

 **xxxxx**

The freezing cold water helped a little, as well as the detachable shower head that was in there, and she was able to hold him that night with a minimum of filthy thoughts.

Which was good, since he held her tight the entire night, never making a move to do anything but cuddle.

 **xxxxx**

"Agent Marley, you just can't stay away," the coroner said cheerfully.

Piper smiled distractedly as Dean and the doctor spoke. _Did Sam just sniff someone?_

"Great," Sam was saying. "You mind if we take a look at the bodies?"

Piper shook her thoughts away internally. _Probably imagining things, lack of blood to the brain will do that to you._

She was still wildly aroused, and couldn't seem to do anything about it. Another cold shower this morning had proved useless, and the fact that her husband was wearing his FBI suit wasn't helping, either. _I'm practically panting, for God's sake._

"Not at all," Dr. Corman replied, "But like I said, their... Good-n-plenties, are already tupperwared."

Sam gave him a tight smile. "Super."

The doctor smiled in his way out. "Leave the keys with Marty up front. And please, agents, refrigerate after opening."

Piper handed out plastic gloves and watched as Dean opened the first plastic box. There was a heart inside. He picked it up and winked at her. "Be my Valentine?"

She chuckled and examined the heart. "Already am, handsome."

"Woah, woah, woah, woah, woah," Sam said, looking over her shoulder. "These hearts both have identical marks. Check this out. It looks like some kind of letter."

"Looks like Enochian," Piper mused.

Dean looked down at her. "You mean like angel scratches? So you think it's like the tagging on our ribs?"

She shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know."

Dean pulled his cell phone out and dialed. "Cass, it's Dean. Yeah, room 31C, basement level, St. James Medical Center."

Castiel appeared suddenly, still on the phone. "I'm there now." Piper laughed.

Dean cocked an eyebrow at her, sending ridiculous heat shooting down through her. "Yeah, I get that," he said dryly. She subtly tried to press her thighs together, trying to get some friction.

"I'm gonna hang up now," Castiel stated.

"Right," Dean said evenly, flipping his phone shut. Piper trembled with desire. _What the fuck is going on?_

The angel turned to pick up one of the hearts. "You're right, Sam. These are angelic marks. I imagine you'll find similar marks on the other couples' hearts." He nodded across the table. "Dean and Piper will share them, as well."

Dean frowned and wrapped an arm around Piper's waist. She felt a little dizzy and leaned into him.

"So, what are they?" Sam asked. "I mean, what do they mean?"

"It's a mark of union. This man and woman were intended to mate."

Piper smiled, her hormones taking a backseat. She looked up at Dean. "Aw, that means we were meant to be, baby."

He pressed a kiss to her temple. "Didn't need angels to tell me that, kitten."

 **xxxxx**

"So, what, you just happen to know he likes the cosmos at this place?" Dean asked, irritated. It had been a long few days, he was tired, and for some reason, wildly depressed.

The only thing that seemed to help was touching Piper, and he clung to her like the lifeline she'd always been for him. He was currently holding her hand under the table, running his thumb along the soft skin of hers. She was uncharacteristically quiet next to him, just holding his hand and being very still. He wasn't sure what was wrong, but he was determined to fix it.

Cas continued to speak as Dean's order of food came to the table. He used his free hand to put ketchup on his cheeseburger while he listened. "This place is a nexus of human reproduction. It's exactly the kind of… Of garden the Cupid will come to… To pollinate."

Dean sighed. Then looked at the food in his hand and winced. He'd honestly gotten it out of habit more than anything else. He set it back down on his plate.

Piper squeezed his hand, and he looked down at her lovely face. "You're not hungry?"

He shook his head. "No." He looked at her closely for a second, wondering what was up with her. The long showers the night before and that morning, her flushed cheeks, her wide eyes and shallow breathing. If he didn't know any better, he'd think she-

His thoughts were interrupted by Castiel. "Then you're not gonna finish that?" He reached over and grabbed the cheeseburger off of Dean's plate. Dean frowned at the angel, then down at Piper.

Castiel looked across the room. "He's here."

Dean shook his head. "Hold up, what the fuck is going on around here?"

Sam frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Dean pointed at Cass, currently scarfing down food. "Since when does he eat?" He looked down at Piper. "And you-"

"I'm fine," she chirped.

Sam looked between them suspiciously. "What?"

Dean shook his head. "Forget Cupid. Let's go check something out."

 **xxxxx**

Dean was watching Piper while he spoke to Sam. She was flipping through a book, looking for hints to what was going on, but that wasn't all she was doing. Her legs were crossed tightly, and she was constantly shifting and moving.

Was she…

"What the hell does a demon got to do with this, anyway?" he asked, trying to focus.

"Believe me, I got no idea." Sam said shakily.

Dean frowned. "You okay?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, yeah. I'll be all right."

Piper looked up, then stood to go to the briefcase. Was she _shaking?_ "Let's open it up," she said softly, "What's the worst that could happen, right?"

She reached forward and opened the briefcase. An insanely bright light escaped, flying away.

Sam flinched. "Woah!"

Dean frowned. "What was that?"

"It's a human soul," Castiel said evenly. "It's starting to make sense. My hunger, it's a clue, actually."

Dean frowned. "For what?"

"This town is not suffering from some love-gone-wrong effect. It's suffering from hunger. Starvation, to be exact. Specifically, famine."

Sam's eyebrows shot up. "Famine? As… As in the horseman?"

Piper frowned. "Is it just starvation as in food?"

Cass shook his head and spoke with his mouth full. "No, not just food. I mean, everyone seems to be starving for something. Sex, attention, drugs, love…"

Piper closed her eyes and sighed. "Oh, thank God. I'm not insane."

Dean turned to her and cocked an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

Her eyes widened, and a deep blush bloomed on her cheeks. "Uh, nothing?"

He grinned, despite his low mood. "No way, kitten. Let's have it."

She blinked, then smirked and stepped forward and went up on tiptoe to whisper in his ear. "I have wanted to fuck you so bad since we stepped foot in this stupid town, it's all I can do to not throw you down and have my way with you."

Dean was a little dizzy for a moment, with all of the blood rushing from his head. He turned and caught her mouth with his, kissing her hard. She reacted wildly, her hands fisting in his shirt and rising up to her tiptoes again to kiss him back. He moaned into her mouth a little, putting his hands on her hips and pressing her into him.

"Oh, for fuck's sake, don't you guys think we have more important things to do?"

Sam's voice brought Dean out of his haze a little, but it didn't seem to affect Piper at all. Dean turned his head to look at Cass and Sam, smirking a little when Piper simply moved her attention to his jaw, completely undone. "Yes, yes, we do. What does Famine even want?"

"He's hungry," Cass said around the food in his mouth. "He must feed on souls to get strong, so he can march across the land."

Piper bit his neck, and Dean had to grab her hand before it travelled all the way down his pants. "Jesus, kitten, slow down."

"No," she murmured against his skin, nibbling her way up to his ear.

Sam was looking truly horrified at Piper and Dean. He looked at Castiel. "So, what, this whole town is just gonna eat, drink, and fuck itself to death?"

Cass nodded. "We should stop it."

Dean was fighting to keep his shirt on, as Piper was currently trying to remove it. "Yeah, that's a great idea. How?"

Cass shrugged. "How did you stop the last horseman you met?"

"War got his mojo from his ring. Kitten, baby, come on," Dean said to Piper, who was pressing against him and biting his shoulder. He turned back to the angel. "After we cut it off, he just tucked tail and ran. And everybody that was affected, it was like they woke up out of a dream. You think Famine's got a class ring, too?"

Castiel nodded. "I know he does."

"Well, okay, let's track him down-" Dean grunted and put his hands on Piper's hips to push her away from him reluctantly. "Pipes, chill." He turned to Castiel. "And what are you, the Hamburglar?"

"I've developed a taste for ground beef."

"Well, have you even tried to stop it?"

Cass frowned. "I'm an angel. I can stop anytime I want."

Dean rolled his eyes and looked at his wife, who was biting her lip and looking at him with those hot hazel eyes in a way that was extremely distracting. He put a hand on the back of her head and pulled her close to kiss her hard again, then twisted her so her back was pressed against his chest. "Sorry, kitten," he said softly, then looked at the angel. "Cass?"

Castiel nodded and stepped forward to press two fingers to Piper's forehead. She slumped, and he winced. _She's going to murder me._

He scooped her into his arms and looked at Sam, who had gone into the bathroom to splash water on his face. "Sam, I'm going to drop Pipes off, then we can roll."

Sam winced. "Dean, I… Um… I can't. I can't go."

Dean frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I think it got to me, Dean. I think I'm hungry for it."

"Hungry for what?"

"You know."

Dean's temper snapped at him. "Demon blood?" Sam winced. "You gotta be kidding me." He looked at Castiel. "You gotta get him out of here. You gotta beam him to, like, Montana. Anywhere but here."

Cass shook his head. "It won't work. He's already infected. The hunger is just going to travel with him."

Dean frowned again. "Well, then, what do we do?"

"You go cut that bastard's finger off," Sam said firmly, meeting Dean's eyes. "Take Piper back to your room and lock her in there, then come back in here and lock me down."

Dean looked at him. "Lock Piper in…"

Sam stared back, emotionless. "Dean, she's not going to leave me cuffed if I put on a show, and if this hunger gets much worse, I could convince her."

 **xxxxx**

"These make me… Very happy."

Dean was watching Castiel eat yet another cheeseburger incredulously. "How many is that?"

"I lost count. It's in the low hundreds." There was a beat of silence, then, "What I don't understand is, where is your hunger, Dean?"

Dean frowned. "Huh?"

"Well, slowly but surely, everyone in this town is falling prey to Famine, but so far, you seem unaffected."

Dean shrugged. "Hey, when I want to drink, I drink. When I want sex, I have Piper. Same goes for a sandwich or a fight."

Cass stopped eating for a moment to stare at him. "So… You're saying you're well-adjusted?"

Dean snorted. "God, no. I'm just well-fed."

He ignored the fact that for the past two days he had been desperate for Piper's touch, desperate to be showering some kind of affection on her. He ignored that he felt depressed and hopeless if her skin wasn't pressed against his. They had just gotten married, surely that was a byproduct of being newlyweds.

Surely it was that.

 **xxxxx**

"It's funny, it doesn't seem to be coming from mine."

Dean was staring Famine in the face, trying to cover his fear.

Famine smirked. "Oh, I don't know about that. I think you have plenty of hunger coming from you, Dean." He tilted his head and moved closer. "Yes, yes, haven't you wondered why the only hunger you seem to have is for your lovely wife? Do you think it's because you know you're not good enough? You know you're going to lose, and you know that you're taking her down with you?" There was a cold smile on the horseman's lips. "You're hungry for her, Dean, because deep down, you know you're killing her."

Dean winced, the words battering at his heart, when Sam spoke from behind him.

"Let him go."

Famine turned and smiled. Dean was horrified to see that Sam's face was stained with blood. "Sammy, no!"

 **xxxxx**

"Let me out of here, please! Help!"

Dean winced and listened to his brother cry out from the panic room at Bobby's place. He honestly didn't know what was going to be worse, this, or talking to Piper when she woke up.

Castiel stood next to him. "That's not him in there. Not really."

Dean nodded. "I know." He sighed. "I'm going to go talk to Pipes… Wish me luck."

Castiel frowned. "Why would you require luck to speak with Piper?"

Dean smiled. "Because she's going to be _pissed."_

 **xxxxx**

Piper was sitting on their bed, rubbing her face, when Dean walked through the door.

She looked up and watched him shut the door behind him, his face tight with trepidation. He winced a little, then opened his mouth. "Listen, baby, I'm-"

She didn't give him a chance to finish. She stood and ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him fiercely. He seemed surprised, then put his hands at her waist and kissed her back.

Coming up for air, she smiled into his dazed green eyes. "Don't apologize, Dean, I understand. I'm just glad you're safe."

He stared at her for a moment, then crushed her to him, his hand behind her head. She buried her face in his neck, whimpering a little because he was here, and she'd been terrified when she had woken up in their bedroom that he wouldn't be.

"Love you, Winchester."

She felt him smile. "You, too, Mrs. Winchester."

 **xxxxx**

Later, Dean was lying with her head on his chest, running his hand through her lavender hair, thinking about what Famine had said to him. _Ah, fuck, that damn thing was right._

"All right, spill," Piper said softly, looking up at him.

Dean took a moment to wonder why he was still surprised when she read his mind. He opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by her shaking her head and sitting up.

"No lying to me, Dean, it's too late and I'm too tired." She met his gaze and patted his stomach. "Come on, out with it."

He debated with himself, his instinct being to tell her something that would get her to let it go. But her narrowed hazel eyes and his behavior that day demanded an honest explanation.

"Famine… He said that I'm killing you. That I'm going down with the apocalypse, and I'm dragging you down with me."

She blinked. "And you, what, _believed_ him?"

He sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "Kitten, if you'd never met me-"

"I'd be dead," she said briskly, interrupting him. "If I had never met you, that werewolf would have killed me, too." She smiled at him. "Dean, what do I have to do to convince you that I'm here because I want to be?"

The sadness in her voice had him sitting up next to her and pulling her into his arms. She went willingly, sighing and laying her head on his shoulder. "You're too good for this, Pipes," he said roughly, "For me. For this life. For all of this."

She looked up and gazed at him for a long time. "And you're not?" She whispered. He watched in horror as her eyes filled with tears. "Dean, how can you honestly believe that you deserve all of the bullshit that's been thrown at us for the past few years?" She shook her head and wiped her eyes. "Dean, you're a good man. You don't deserve this, either." She smiled. "But you do deserve me. So shut up about it already, okay?"

He nodded, overwhelmed once again by the woman who called him husband. He pulled her back gently so they were laying down again, and she cuddled close.

"Can we go on vacation after this? A real, honest to God vacation, with a beach and drinks with little umbrellas?" She asked sleepily.

His voice was hoarse with emotions. "Whatever you want, kitten."

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi everyone! Here's my notes:**  
 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**  
 **Reviews, comments, and kudos give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**  
 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**


	59. The Last Damn Thing You Do

Dean watched his wife walk up the front steps of Bobby's place appreciatively. No matter how mad he was at Bobby for not answering, or for knowing the goddamn sheriff, or for any of this shit… Piper's ass was too good to miss.

"Dude, quit staring," Sam said evenly, smirking.

Piper turned around before she knocked. "Staring at what?" When Dean waggled his eyebrows at her, she grinned. "Focus, Winchester, more important things."

"I beg to differ," he muttered, just loud enough for her to hear, as she knocked.

She turned and shot him a wink as the door opened, and like it always did, his heart skipped a beat.

Bobby stared up at them. "The hell do you want?"

When Piper reached to open the door, Bobby didn't get out of the way. She tensed. "Can we talk about it inside, Bobby?" She asked softly.

Bobby grumbled and backed up so they could walk in. Dean could see that Piper was taken aback, so he came to stand next to her, putting a hand on her warm back. "You know how many times we called? Where have you been?" He snapped at Bobby, irritated that Piper was upset.

Bobby shrugged. "Playing murderball."

There was something weird in the air. Dean frowned. "What's that smell? Is that soap?"

Piper looked at Bobby. "Did you clean?"

Bobby glared at both of them. "What are you, my mother? Bite me!"

Piper eyebrows rose, and pain flashed in her hazel eyes. Bobby looked a little ashamed, but Dean didn't care. He wrapped an arm around Piper and tucked her close to him.

Sam also subtly shifted do he was standing almost in front of her. "Bobby, seriously."

Bobby rolled his eyes. "I been working. You know, trying to find a way to stop the devil."

"Find anything?" Piper asked softly.

Bobby's face relaxed a little. "Uh, no. Not yet."

Sam ran a hand through his hair. "Bobby, it's just… There's a case less than five miles from your house."

Bobby blinked. "What, the… The Benny Sutton thing? That's what this is about?"

Dean glared. "You knew about this?"

"Hell, yes. I checked into it already. There's nothing here."

Piper snorted, and the show of spirit made Dean feel a little better. "Except a witness who saw a corpse commit murder."

Bobby snorted back. "What witness? Digger Wells?"

Dean shrugged. "Yeah. So?"

"So, he's a drunk."

"Well, what about the lightning storms?" Piper countered. "Those are omens."

"Except in February in South Dakota in storm season. Pi, I thought it was something, too. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar."

 **xxxxx**

Piper was pushing Bobby's wheelchair back up to the house, all sorts of angry. Bobby _knew_ that dead people were rising, he _lied_ to her, and now he was being all goddamn _mysterious_ about it.

It really left her no other option than to kill him.

Dean must have known what she was thinking, because he was looking at her warily. He looked back at Bobby. "You want to tell us what the hell…"

They had come in the front door, into the kitchen. A pretty older woman wearing an apron turned and smiled at them. "Oh! I didn't realize you were bringing company home."

All of Piper's anger drained away, and she felt her face cool as she paled. _Oh, dear,_ she thought, recognition pouring through her.

"It's four in the morning, babe," Bobby said softly, "You didn't need to cook."

"Oh, please! I'll get some more plates." She hurried into the dining room to set the table, and Piper felt herself start to sway on her feet. She bit her tongue hard to bring her back to herself, then looked down at Bobby, who was looking up at her defiantly.

"How?" she asked faintly.

Dean was looking between the two of them. "Who was that?"

Bobby turned and looked at Dean. "Karen, my wife."

Sam frowned. "Your new wife?"

"His dead wife," Piper said calmly. She took a deep breath. "Well, let's not keep her waiting. To the table, boys."

She led them to the table. She let go of Bobby's wheelchair and circled the table to sit as far away from his as possible. Dean positioned himself between them, and Sam sat on the other side. Under the table, Dean took her hand and squeezed, and she mustered a warm smile for him before she resumed glaring at Bobby.

Karen was lovely, as Piper had suspected she would be. She was warm and considerate and Piper found herself liking the woman more and more as time went on.

She served them a lovely pie, and Piper managed to contain her eye roll when her husband ate enthusiastically. It helped that he was still holding her hand, his big, calloused thumb running across her skin.

"This is incredible, Mrs. Singer," he said fervently, his mouth full. Piper couldn't stop her eyes rolling this time, and he caught it. He turned to look at her. "What? It is!"

Bobby smiled up at his wife, and it broke Piper's heart. "It's great, Karen," he said softly. "Thank you. Could you, um, just give us a minute?" Karen smiled and left the room.

Dean glared at Bobby. "Are you crazy? What the hell?"

Bobby sighed. "Dean, I can explain-"

"Explain what, Bobby?" Piper asked softly. "Lying to us? Or the thing that claims to be your dead wife making cupcakes in the kitchen?"

Bobby glared at her. "Watch it, Pi."

Anger fizzed beneath the surface. "Or what, Singer?"

Sam held his hands up for peace. "Bobby, whatever that thing is in there, it is not your wife."

Bobby glared. "And how do you know that?"

Piper sighed. "Look, this is getting us nowhere." She took a deep breath and looked at her father figure. "I assume you tested her for everything? And she passed it all?"

He nodded, and she tried to think. "Bobby, I thought you cremated Karen?"

He nodded again. "I did. And I buried her ashes."

"Where?"

"In the cemetery. That's where they all rose from."

"How many?" Dean asked, squeezing Piper's hand again.

"Fifteen, twenty. I made a list." He dug into his pocket and handed the list to Sam. "Uh, there's Karen, Clay, Sheriff Mills, her little boy came back."

Sam gazed down at the list. "And there were no signs? No omens?"

Bobby flushed. "Well, there were the lightning storms."

Dean frowned. "That's what _we_ said. What else?"

Bobby sighed. "'And through the fire stood before me a pale horse. And he sat atop him carried a scythe, and I saw since he had risen, they, too, shall rise, and from him and through him.'"

Piper paled. "Revelation." Bobby nodded.

Dean was still frowning. "So, what, Death is behind this?

 _"Death,_ Death?" Sam asked. "Like, Grim Reaper death?" Bobby nodded again.

Dean threw his free hand in the air. "Awesome. Another horseman. Must be Thursday." It was Piper's turn to squeeze his hand gently.

Sam leaned forward on his elbows. "Bobby… Why would Death raise fifteen people in a Podunk town like Sioux Falls?"

Bobby shrugged. "I don't know."

Dean sighed. "You know, if Death is behind this, then whatever these things are… It's not good."

Piper put a hand on his arm before he could continue. "Bobby, does she remember rising? Or coming back at all?"

He shook his head.

Dean ran a hand down his face. "Bobby-"

"No, no," Bobby snapped, "Don't 'Bobby' me. Just… Just listen, okay?" In the silence, Piper could hear Karen humming in the kitchen. "She hums when she cooks. She always… Used to hum when she cooked." Piper's eyes filled with tears at the pain in his voice. "Tone deaf as all hell, but… And I never thought I would hear it again." He looked at them earnestly. "Just read Revelation. The dead rise during the apocalypse. There's nothing in there that says that's bad! Hell, maybe it's the one _good_ thing that comes out of this whole bloody mess."

Before the brothers could say anything, Piper was up and around the table, wrapping her arms around Bobby's neck and hugging him tight. "Okay," she said softly. "We'll try to find out what's going on. And you know if there's any way to keep her around, I will find it, okay?"

 **xxxxx**

That night, Dean wouldn't let them stay at Bobby's, so they were in a nearby motel. Piper sat on the bed with her head in her hands, her mind whirling, trying to find some way to keep Karen with Bobby. She wanted so badly to make that happen, but suspected that this was something she wouldn't get out of sheer force of will.

The bed dipped, and she lifted her head to smile at Dean. "Hi, handsome."

He ran a hand through her hair. "How you holdin' up, kitten?"

She leaned into his touch tiredly. "I'm fine. Just hoping there's a way to fix all of this."

He frowned and pressed his lips to her temple. "Piper, you know we'll probably have to kill her."

She leaned into him. "Don't tell Bobby that."

 **xxxxx**

"I know you don't trust me."

Dean's eyebrows went up at Karen's words. Piper and Sam were off investigating the town's recently revived, and he was here, keeping watch on Bobby and his 'wife.' "Why would you say that?"

The pale, kind woman smiled at him. "Come on, Dean. That's why you're here, isn't it? Keeping an eye on me? I know who you are. Just like I know Bobby's not the same mild-mannered scrap dealer I married. You hunt things. I… I'm a thing. I get it."

Dean sighed. "So you know that Piper, Sam, and I would never let anything happen to Bobby. That he's like a father to all three of us."

Karen nodded. "I understand. And he's lucky to have you looking out for him. But you're not the only one."

"Is that so?"

She nodded again, then turned back to her baking. "I remember everything you know. When I died. That demon taking over my body… And the things it made me do. And Bobby having no choice but to… Well, you know what he did. But I can see it in his eyes when he looks at me. The guilt. It weighs on him."

Dean shrugged. "So why don't you tell him you remember?"

Karen tilted her head. "I thought you were married, Dean. When you're in love with someone, it's… Different. He's my husband. My job is to bring him peace, not pain."

Dean chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, uh, Pipes doesn't really follow that line of thinking."

Karen tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

Dean smiled fondly, thinking of his firecracker wife. "Piper thinks that if there's pain, we should be in it together. Peace will come after, peace will come from the two of us. But pain needs to be dealt with." He met the woman's eyes. "And lying is just adding pain on top of pain. In Piper's opinion, of course."

 **xxxxx**

When she pulled up in her Jeep, he breathed a sigh of relief. He watched her pull in and park, watched her sling her bag over her shoulder and step out. When she saw him, she grinned, and he held his arms out to her.

She ran up the stairs, slamming into him when she got there. He crushed her to him, the peace he'd been talking to Mrs. Singer about settling over him as he inhaled her scent.

He pulled back and smoothed her hair away from her face. "No more of this being apart shit," he said roughly. "You and me are sticking together until this apocalypse is figured out. Got me?"

She smiled up at him. "Gotcha, Mr. Winchester. You and me."

 **xxxxx**

When Sam got back, he was pissed, and struggling to contain his volume.

"Keep your damn voice down," Bobby snapped. "Karen's upstairs."

Piper held her hand up, trying to organize her thoughts. "Hold on a second, who's old lady Jones?"

"The first one to come up," Bobby snapped again. Piper glared at him.

"The first one to go bad." Sam replied angrily.

Bobby waved a hand. "Ah, she was always a nutty broad."

Dean frowned. "Nutty how? Nutty like the way she ate her husband's stomach? Was that the level of nutty she was in life?"

"No," Bobby muttered reluctantly.

Dean ran a hand through his hair. Piper stood by him and put her hand on his lower back, underneath his flannel, to offer comfort. "Look, Bobby," Dean said softly. "I feel for you. If it was Piper, I don't… But you have got to acknowledge that you're not exactly seeing straight."

"Bobby," Sam said gently, "Whether you admit it or not, these things are turning. We have to stop them. All of them."

Piper frowned and opened her mouth to protest when Bobby pulled a gun out and rested it on his lap. Her mind went completely blank with pain and shock. She covered her mouth with her hand. "Bobby…"

He stared at her with hard eyes. "Time to go."

Dean looked disbelieving. "What?"

"You heard me, off my property."

"Or what?" Sam scoffed. "You'll shoot?"

"You heard him," Piper said softly, her heart aching. She went to the door slowly, so he didn't fucking _shoot_ her, and grabbed her things. She tossed Dean's leather jacket to him. "Let's go. If Bobby doesn't want us here, we won't be."

Sam frowned. "Pipe, I-"

The sound of the gun cocking made Piper flinch. "I'm not telling you twice," Bobby said coldly.

Stonefaced, Dean turned, shrugged his coat on, and wrapped his arm around Piper to lead her out of the house. Furious, she let him.

 **xxxxx**

When it was all over, Dean stood with Bobby at Karen's funeral pyre after Sam and Piper had walked away. Bobby had explained about the message from Death, about the reason it had been sent, and had simply ended with how tired he was of killing the love of his life. The three of them had forgiven him, with Piper leaning down and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

Dean sent another quick thanks up that _she_ was in no danger.

"Bobby." Dean said softly.

"I don't want a damn pep talk from you, boy," Bobby snapped.

"Good," Dean said simply. "That's not what I'm gonna say." After taking a quick look to make sure that Piper was out of earshot, Dean looked back at the flames. He couldn't look Bobby in the eye yet. "Bobby, you know you're like a father to me…"

He took a deep breath and looked down to meet his father figure's gaze. "But you ever point a fucking gun at Piper again, I will make sure it's the last damn thing you do."

Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked toward the Impala.

 **xxxxx**

Piper was settled on Dean's bare chest, drawing nonsense on his warm skin with her fingertips. He was threading his fingers through her hair, which was sending her off to sleep.

But before she did… "Dean?"

"Hmm?" _Someone else is almost asleep, too._

"Did you threaten Bobby before we left?"

His silence, and the way he tensed beneath her, were all the answers she needed.

Then he shrugged. "Sorry, kitten."

She lay her head on his chest and smiled. "Alpha male bullshit, Dean."

His rumbling chuckle made her toes curl. He wrapped his strong arm around her and turned so she was beneath him, smiling into his handsome face. He smirked. "You like it."

 _Well, he's certainly awake now._ "Maybe."

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**

 ****Writer's block is a real, terrible thing.**


	60. She Looks like You

Dean woke already knowing that someone was in the room with them. Piper's subtle change in breathing told him that she did, too. He was on his stomach, his arm under his pillow. He was slowly, carefully reaching for his gun when he was interrupted.

"Looking for this?"

Dean heard the cartridge pop out of his pistol, and closed his eyes in defeat. _Fuck._

He turned, meeting Piper's eyes as she did the same. They sat up and looked at the two masked men, pointing shotguns at them. They raised their hands. "Mornin'," Dean drawled nonchalantly.

Piper was frowning. "Roy?"

Dean turned to the man standing in front of their bed. "Roy? That you?"

Piper turned to the other man. "Which makes you Walt. Hi, Walt, you rat bastard."

The men looked at each other, and then Walt removed his mask. "Don't matter," he muttered as Roy did the same.

Piper tilted her head. "Been drinking, Walt?" she asked softly. Dean watched the other man flinch. "Because that's the only way I can think of you getting brave enough to come in here, after what I did for you in Atlanta." She was _furious._ "You motherfucker, you have the _nerve_ to point a gun at me?"

Walt shook his head stubbornly and kept his gun pointed at Sam. "You think you can flip the switch on the apocalypse and just walk away, Sam?"

"Fuck you, Walt," Piper snapped, then turned to glare at Roy. "You, too."

Sam, however, was pale. "Who told you that?"

Walt shook his head. "We ain't the only hunters after you," he said as he pumped his shotgun. "See you in the next life."

Sam held his hands up. "Hear me out. I can explain, okay? Please."

There was a pause, and the gun went off. Dean's heart jumped to his throat and Piper screamed a little. He tried to stand to go to his brother, but Roy interrupted him. "Stay the hell down."

Piper hadn't moved, but her eyes were wide and her face tight with anger. "Go fuck yourself, Roy," she said softly. Her eyes turned to Walt. "You, too, Walt."

Walt shook his head stubbornly again. "Shoot them."

Roy stared at the other man. "Killin' Sam was right, but these two…"

"They made us! And we just snuffed their brother, you idiot! You want to spend the rest of your life knowing Dean Winchester and Piper Finley are on your ass? 'Cause I don't!"

"Winchester," Piper snapped. "We got married, Walt, it's Piper Winchester who's going to be on your ass."

Walt turned to Roy again. "Shoot them."

Dean looked at the men in front of him evenly. "Go ahead, Roy, do it. But I'm going to warn you, when I come back, I'm gonna be _pissed."_

"Come on, Roy," Piper said softly, dangerously. "Let's get this show on the road."

The gun went off again. Dean felt a flash of terrible pain, then blackness.

 **xxxxx**

Piper woke up in a bedroom that she didn't immediately recognize. She reached down to find her gun, but realized that she wasn't in the clothes she had been in. She looked down, seeing a tank top and shorts she vaguely recognized.

She sat up and looked around. "What the fuck?"

She was in her childhood bedroom. Band and movie posters covered the walls, along with pictures of her and her friends, and her and her parents. She stood, looking around, nostalgia washing through her. "Oh, wow."

"Piper, honey?"

She whirled, her heart in her throat, to look at her mother. "M… Mama?"

Her mother smiled, auburn hair in a braid draped across her shoulder, a long dress brushing the tops of her feet. "Happy birthday, sweet sixteen-year-old!"

Piper was frozen as her mother came in and hugged her. Snapped out of it by her mother's touch, she gripped her mom tight, tears gathering in her eyes. "Don't make a big deal out of it, Mama," she whispered, realizing she was in a memory.

Her mother leaned back and smiled. "Hey! It's not every day that my favorite daughter turns sixteen! I will make just a big a deal as I want to!"

Piper was finding it very hard to breathe. "I love you, Mama. I miss you so much."

Her mother laughed. "Don't sass me, miss." Piper realized that her mother wasn't hearing her. _She's not really here._

Wiping her eyes, Piper watched her mom walk away, going downstairs to make her a birthday breakfast. "Okay, well that is… Something."

The television in her room turned on. She turned to see Cass's face there in the snowy picture. "Castiel!"

"Piper, are you all right?"

She nodded and approached it. "Yeah, where am I?"

"Heaven."

She nodded again, deciding to stow her shock and express it another time. "Okay, where are Sam and Dean?"

"They're coming for you. They shouldn't be very long."

"What should I do until then?"

"Wait for them. Dean knows what to do, the," static cut in, "difficult," more static, "Joshua." And then the television snapped off.

She blinked. _Well, what am I supposed to do now?_

She made her way down the stairs, the sight of her parents in the kitchen making her eyes tear up again. Her father turned and smiled. "Happy birthday, princess."

She smiled back. "Thanks, Daddy."

He stepped forward and pressed a kiss to her cheek, then sat at the table. "Let's celebrate!"

Piper was too emotional to eat, so she just watched them. The way they shifted around one another, the way they spoke to her and to each other. _They were so in love._ She wished more than anything they could meet Dean, that she could somehow let them know how happy she was.

The front door opening made her frown. _No one came over on this morning._

"Pipes?"

"Dean!" She stood and ran to the front door, crashing into him. "Oh, God, are you guys okay?" She stared up at his handsome face.

He nodded. "Yeah, found Sammy, found you, now we gotta find Joshua."

"Okay, let's go." She smiled at Sam when he came in behind Dean.

Dean looked around, his arms still tight around her. "This was your house."

She nodded. "Yeah, yeah, it's the morning of my sixteenth birthday." She turned and smiled, tears starting in her eyes. "My, uh, my parents stayed home from work, so they could have breakfast with me."

Without a word, Dean led her into the kitchen, and she let herself bask in the sight of her parents in a sun-soaked room, laughing with one another. From this angle, she could tell they were holding hands under the table, and her chest heaved again.

"She looks like you, Pipe," Sam said softly from behind her.

She nodded, and felt Dean's hand squeeze hers. "Yeah, she does," he said roughly.

She dashed the tears away from her eyes again. "Okay, let's go to wherever we're supposed to go."

 **xxxxx**

"Dad always said they had the perfect marriage."

Piper was watching Mary Winchester argue with her husband on the phone with wide eyes. She was _gorgeous._ Piper's heart ached for Dean and Sam.

"It wasn't perfect until after she died," Dean said softly, watching his mom. Piper stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Fine," Mary snapped. "Then don't." There was a pause. "There's nothing more to talk about." She hung the phone up and turned her back to them. She sniffled, and Piper's heart broke a little.

"What happens next?" Sam asked gently.

Dean stood and approached his mother. When she turned, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug. "It's okay, Mom. Dad still loves you. I love you, too. I'll never leave you."

Piper put her hand over her mouth, her chest starting to heave again. She looked over at Sam, who looked shocked.

Dean stepped away from his mother, and she cupped his cheek. "You are my little angel." She gave him a clearly fake smile. "How 'bout some pie, okay?"

She moved away, and Dean came back to stand with Piper and Sam. Piper wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face into his chest.

"What?" Dean asked.

"I just never realized how long you've been cleaning up Dad's messes," Sam said softly.

Dean shrugged. "Whatever. Let's keep moving."

 **xxxxx**

Dean chose a door at random and walked through it.

He heard Piper and Sam follow him, and Dean frowned. They were in he and Piper's bedroom at Bobby's. It was very similar to the way it looked now, but it was subtly different. He realized that it was still Piper's bedroom. None of his things were in it.

He looked down at her. "Looks like this one's your rodeo, kitten."

She looked around, and her eyes landed on her nightstand. She smiled at the two cups of coffee there. "I think this is the day after we got together, Dean. I went downstairs to make coffee, and you… Distracted me before we could drink it."

He blinked, then smirked. She smiled and looked around. "Well, this is lovely, but let's find the next place we're supposed to go."

She walked downstairs, and Dean followed her, emotions making it hard to think. She walked downstairs and grinned at the sight of a two-years-younger Sam in the bathroom rolling his eyes. "Finally," the younger version of his brother muttered.

Dean turned back to glare at Sam. "Shut up," he said roughly.

Sam chuckled. "Dean, it took you ten years to make a move. We were all a little, uh, relieved, to say the least."

Piper laughed from the top of the stairs, her eyes glowing at him. "I think I was the most relieved," she said happily as she started down. Dean followed her, smiling a little, always following Piper.

When they got to the kitchen, Bobby was there, making coffee, shaking his head. "About damn time."

Dean wrapped his arm around Piper and pulled her close. "Did everyone but me know about this?"

She cuddled into him. "Yes, baby, yes we did." She smiled up at him. "Let's go find that angel."

They looked around the kitchen, Dean mulling over her words, a little irritated with himself that he hadn't made his move earlier. All that time they could have had together...

"Hey, I think I've seen this before." Dean turned to see Sam with a postcard in his hand, Piper standing next to him.

"Where?" Dean asked.

When he looked around, there was a wall covered with postcards from all along route sixty-six. He frowned, then took in the little cabin they were in. "Where are we?"

Sam looked delighted. "No way." A big dog entered the room and approached Sam, tail wagging. Sam bent to pet him. "Bones! Hey, come here, come here!" The dog started licking Sam's face.

"Bones?" Dean asked, suspicion starting up in his brain. Piper came to stand next to him, looking confused.

Sam nodded. "Yeah, Bones was my dog." He stood and went to the cheap coffee table in the middle of the room, opening the pizza box there and pulling out a slice.

"Your dog?" Piper asked.

Sam nodded. Dean looked around again, getting irritated. "Sam, is this fucking Flagstaff?"

Sam nodded happily. "Yeah."

Dean was incredulous. "This is a good memory for you?"

Sam chuckled. "Yeah. I mean, I was on my own for two weeks. I lived on Funyuns and Mr. Pibb. "

"Wow," Dean snapped, running a hand through his hair. Emotions were raging through him, barely controllable. How could this be Sam's heaven? This was two of the worst weeks of Dean's whole life, and Sam fucking went here when he died. _God dammit._

Piper put a hand on his back, under his flannel, and her touch centered him a little. He looked down at her. She was looking up at him sympathetically. "I know, handsome, I know," she said softly, "But there's no use arguing about it, baby, the past is the past." She came up to press her lips to his cheek. "Let him have his memory, Dean."

He sighed. "All right, well, let's roll."

He thought about Piper while they headed toward the door. He'd just been damn close to giving Sam the riot act, but she'd simply touched him, spoken softly, and here he was, following her to wherever she went.

When they came out, they were in a pretty generic motel room. Sam frowned. "Where are we?"

Piper was looking around. "Dean, we stayed here, didn't we?"

Recognition shot through him, and his eyebrows rose. "Uh, yeah, kitten, we did."

She rifled through their bags of clothes. "Do you remember when? Why are we here?" She looked up at him questioningly.

He flushed a little, looking up at the ceiling. "This, uh, was the day we met back up with Sam. After the horseman War."

She frowned. "Well, I mean, you know I love waking up with you, but-"

"This one's mine," Dean said shortly, hoping she would drop it, knowing she wouldn't.

She tilted her head to the side, her eyes warming. "What?"

Sam was grinning, and Dean ran a hand through his hair. He shoved his other hand in his pocket, looking for a way out of this. _There is none, shit._ "This, uh, this is when I decided to, uh… You know…"

She smiled. "Propose? This is when you decided to marry me?"

He nodded. She came around the bed and wrapped her arms around his neck, then pressed her smiling lips to his. "That's a pretty chick flick moment for you, Dean," she said softly against his mouth.

He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Only for you, kitten."

"Guys," Sam said softly. "We should go."

Dean sighed, not wanting to leave, _especially_ with his brother, who he was still having trouble even looking at. But duty called, and Piper was already looking as resigned as he felt. "Come on then," Dean said gruffly. "Let's go."

They walked out the door, into the night. They walked out to the middle of the street, and Dean frowned, trying to get his bearings. When he looked, the only thing around was an older home with a wraparound porch. "What memory is this?"

Sam shrugged. "No idea. All right, come on." When Dean didn't move, "Dean, road, God, remember?"

Realization crashed through Dean, and this time not even Piper's quiet words could stop the pain. "Wait a minute," he snapped. "Wait a minute, _this?"_ He glared at Sam. "This is the night you fucking ditched us for Stanford. This is your goddamn idea of heaven? Wow." He tried to laugh, but it sounded painful and too loud, so he stopped. "This was one of the worst nights of my life."

Memories washed through him.

His fear. _Sam's gone, what the fuck am I gonna do? Sam left me here alone with Dad. Fuck._

He'd called Piper. _Sam's… Sam's gone, Pipes._

Her gentle voice. _Dean, it's going to be all right, I'm on my way, okay? Sit tight, it's gonna be okay._

His sudden worry. _Pipes, Dad is… He's pretty pissed, maybe you shouldn't come._

Her steady presence, her calm voice, never leaving him. _I'm on my way, Dean, so shut up._

He ran a hand through his hair again, trying to control his emotions.

"I can't control this stuff," Sam said defensively.

Dean turned to look at him, shocked. "Seriously? I mean, this is a happy memory for you?"

Sam, who looked upset, shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, I was on my own. I finally got away from Dad."

Dean turned away from him. "Yeah, he wasn't the only one you got away from." Piper was there, and stepped into his arms, her cheek pressed to his chest. Dean crushed her to him, craving the comfort she'd always given him.

"Dean," Sam said gently, "I'm sorry, I just, uh…"

"I know, You didn't think of it like that."

"Dean…"

He let go of Piper and spun toward his brother. "Come on, Sam! Your heaven is someone else's Thanksgiving. Okay? It's bailing on your family. What do you want me to say?"

Sam threw his hands in the air. "Man, I never got the crusts cut off my PB&J! I just don't look at family the way you do."

"Guys!" Piper snapped. "That's enough, we need to go. Let's fight about this later, the angels are still looking for us."

 **xxxxx**

"Then how about I tell you my nightmare, Dean? The night I burned."

Piper's stomach rolled when blood spread on Mary's nightgown. Dean sucked in a breath next to her, and Sam winced on her other side. "Let's get out of here, guys," she said softly.

"Don't you dare walk away from me," Mary snapped. Dean flinched and turned back to her, seemingly unable to disobey a parental figure.

"I never loved you," Mary said softly. "You were my burden. I was shackled to you. Look what it got me." She blinked, and her eyes were yellow.

The light in the house changed around them, becoming green and eery. Mary's eyes turned back to normal. "The worst was the smell. The pain, well. What can you say about your skin bubbling off? But the smell was so… You know, for a second I thought I'd left a pot roast burning in the oven. But… It was _my_ meat."

Piper turned away and looked around, looking for a door. But there were none, they were trapped with the ghost of her mother-in-law. Coming to a decision, Piper reached for Dean's hand and tugged him until he was looking at her. She looked over his shoulder at Sam, too. "Guys, that's not her, okay? They're using her. Look at me, not her."

Dean stared into her eyes, and he nodded slowly. She looked over at Sam, who was also nodding and gazing at her.

"And then, finally, I was dead," Mary continued. "Everybody leaves you, Dean. You noticed? Mommy. Daddy. Even Sam." Sam winced. "You ever ask yourself why? Maybe it's not them. Maybe, it's you."

Zachariah had walked up behind her, but before he could open his mouth, Dean was speaking. "You never left me," he said softly to Piper.

She smiled. "Never will, handsome."

Zachariah was speaking, but Piper couldn't hear him. She raised on her tiptoes to press her lips to her husband's, love washing through her again. When he started to kiss her back, she fervently wished that they were home, away from all this, maybe just waking up together.

The world swirled away from them, and on instinct, she reached behind Dean and took Sam's hand.

When she opened her eyes, the three of them were at Bobby's house again. She blinked and looked around, smiling. This was a much more recent version of their room, with Dean's things there, too. Their clothes hung together in the closet, the extra blanket he tended to wrap her in on cold nights folded neatly on the bed. Love and happiness bubbled up in her, and she turned to smile at him. "This is it," she said softly. "This is our heaven."

"Yes, yes it is," a soft, calm voice said behind her. She whirled, eyes wide, to see an older black man standing there, smiling softly. "I've rarely seen anything like it," he continued gently. "Soulmates do sometimes share heavens, but being able to will yourself back here, just by wishing it, is… Rare, like I said. Impressive, Mrs. Winchester."

"What does that mean?" Sam asked, coming to stand next to them.

He turned and smiled at him, then back at Dean and Piper. "It means the bond between the two of you is exceptionally profound. It's a compliment."

The world swirled away from them again. This time they landed in a garden. Piper turned back to the man, who was still smiling that gentle, knowing smile. "You're Joshua."

"I'm Joshua."

 **xxxxx**

"Maybe… Maybe Joshua was lying."

Dean shook his head, turning to make sure he and Piper's bags were ready to go. She was standing next to Castiel, putting a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.

"I don't think so, I'm so sorry, Castiel," she said softly.

Cass walked away, looking up into the entryway of the motel room. As he muttered, Piper came over to stand next to Dean. He held his coat out for her, and she smiled and slipped it on, turning to press a kiss to his jaw. "Glad we're alive again," she said softly.

He turned his head and caught her lips with his. "Better than the alternative," he said against her mouth, his hands falling naturally to her hips. He _really_ loved the sight of her in his too big coat, pressed up against him.

What Joshua had told him about he and Piper's bond hadn't surprised Dean in the least. She was an extraordinary woman, it made sense that her love created an extraordinary connection. He'd rolled with the punches.

Castiel came back in. He pulled the amulet from his pocket and tossed it to Dean. "I don't need this anymore. It's worthless."

He turned away, and Sam frowned. "Cass, wait-" There was the sound of wings, and Cass was gone.

Sam turned toward them. "We'll find another way. We can still stop all this, Dean."

Dean finally, for the first time since heaven, looked at his brother. "How?"

"I don't know, but we'll find it. You, me, and Piper. We'll find it."

Dean stared at him for another moment, then turned to pick up he and Piper's bags and slung them over his shoulder. He looked at Piper. "Ready, kitten?"

She nodded sadly, and followed him toward the door. When he got there, he stopped and opened his hand to drop the amulet into the trash. _I can barely look at the kid, don't want the damn thing around my neck._

Before it could fall, her slender, soft hand was snatching it from the air. He turned to look at her, and watched her pull it over her own head. The amulet settled between her breasts, almost hidden beneath her flannel.

She smiled up at him, pressing her hand to his cheek. "I'll just keep this safe until you're ready for it again."

She walked out the door, toward the Impala. Dean watched her leave, completely astounded by her for the hundredth time since he'd married her, and probably the millionth time since he'd met her. Without looking back at Sam, he followed her, feeling peace start to heal his broken heart.

 **xxxxx**

Sam watched his brother and sister-in-law walk out to the car, his chest aching. He wanted so badly to make it up to Dean, to try to get back to what they had been.

On his own, Dean would never let him. But Piper had… Softened his big brother. The way they had gotten them out of that situation with Zachariah had been incredible. Sam had sensed that, underneath the serenity, Joshua had been surprised, too.

All because of Piper.

Sighing, Sam picked up his bag and followed them out, determined to mend the rift between he and Dean.

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi everyone! Here's my notes:**  
 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**  
 **Reviews, comments, and kudos give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**  
 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**  
 ****I love this chapter. I just wanted you guys to know that.**  
 ****I also think Piper is going to have more of an impact than I originally intended. I didn't really think she would change anything, and I was wrong, lol, and she showed me that in this chapter.**


	61. I Wold Not Suggest It

"A whole town full of hunters," Dean mused, "I don't know whether to run screaming or buy a condo."

Piper nodded, staring wide-eyed at the assembly line system they had set up in this strange little town. She had a bad feeling about this, and the base of her spine felt like ice.

"Well," the pastor said genially, "the demons were killing us. We had to do something."

Sam shrugged. "So why not call the National Guard?"

"We were told not to."

Piper frowned. "By whom?"

When Pastor Gideon didn't answer, Dean scoffed. "Come on, Padre. You're as locked and loaded as we've ever seen. And that exorcism was Enochian. Someone's telling you something." Piper nodded.

The man looked uncomfortable. "Look, I'm sorry, I, uh, I can't discuss it."

"Dad, it's okay."

The pastor frowned. "Leah-"

Piper turned to see a young woman in a pretty sweater standing behind them. She was smiling at Pastor Gideon. "It's Sam, Dean, and Piper Winchester. They're safe. I know all about them."

Dean's eyebrows went up. "You do?"

She nodded. "Sure. From the angels."

Piper tensed. "The, uh, angels?"

Leah smiled. "Don't worry, they can't see you here. The… Marks, on your ribs, right?"

"So you know all about us because angels told you?"

The young woman nodded. "Among other things."

Dean surveyed her. "Like that snappy little exorcism spell."

"And they show me where the demons are going to be before it happens. How to fight back."

Pastor Gideon smiled proudly. "Never been wrong. Not once. She's very special."

Leah rolled her eyes. "Dad…"

"And, before these visions," Piper said softly, "you get a really bad migraine? Flashing lights, the whole nine yards?"

Lean frowned. "How'd you know?"

"Because you're not the first prophet we've met."

 **xxxxx**

"Well, having backup is nifty," Piper said cheerfully as they walked back to the car.

Dean chuckled, but Sam was still staring around suspiciously. She shared his misgivings, but at least the hunt had gone well.

"Dean! Sam!"

They turned to see Dylan, a young man from the town, jogging to catch up with them. "Yo," Dean said cheerfully.

Dylan stopped in front of them. "Hey, so, um. Is it cool if I get a ride back with you guys?"

Piper smiled. "Dylan, you probably saved my life at least twice in there. You can ride with us whenever you want."

Dean held up a can. "Beer?"

Piper frowned. "Absolutely not, Dean, he's a teenager."

He frowned back. "I was drinking at his age."

She smirked and rolled her eyes. "You were _depraved_ at his age, Dean."

He grinned. "You liked it then, too."

She was interrupted by Dylan's scream. Piper whirled, her eyes widening when she saw Dylan fall. She raised her gun to point at the demon, but it smoked out before she could. She holstered her pistol and turned to the kid on the ground.

"Dylan!"

 **xxxxx**

Piper was sitting quietly in their motel room with Dean that night, upset. _Should have been watching the kid instead of flirting with my husband._

"Pipes, come on, cut it out."

She looked up at him from where her head lay on his leg. The rest of her was stretched across the couch, her ankles crossed on the arm. "Cut what out?"

He cocked an eyebrow at her. "I'm not the only one who's easier to read than they think. Quit blaming yourself for Dylan, it happens, baby." He ran a hand through her loose hair. "Blame the demon, not yourself."

She smiled up at him. "That's some sound advice, there, Mr. Guilt Complex."

Before he could respond, Sam came in. Piper smiled. "Where have you been?"

He shrugged his coat off. "Drinking."

Dean snorted. "You rebel."

Sam smiled. "I'd have had more, um, but it was curfew."

Piper frowned. The town had taken some pretty extreme measures after the vision Leah had had at Dylan's funeral. "Huh."

Sam nodded. "Did you hear that they shut down the cell towers?"

Piper sat up. "That's news to us."

"Yeah, no cable, internet. Total cut off from the 'corruption of the outside world.'"

Piper frowned. "They're turning this place into some kind of… Fundamentalist compound."

Sam nodded. "Yeah. I mean, it feels like we should do something, right?"

Piper turned to Dean. "What do you think?"

He looked at her closely for a moment, then nodded. "I think the angels are fucking with these people."

Piper sighed. "But why? What's the point? I mean…" she thought for a moment. "I have been drunk, I've had pre-marital sex, I've gotten tattoos, I've done just about everything they're outlawing out there, and I'm still going to heaven. So what's the point in getting these people riled up?"

Before either man could answer, the fluttering of wings signaled Castiel's arrival. The angel stood, blinked at her blearily, ten ungracefully fell to the floor.

She jumped up. "Cass!" When she got close, se winced and stopped. "Jesus, you smell… Are you drunk?"

Before he could answer, Piper heard breaking glass from outside. She met Dean's eyes, who nodded, then turned to Sam. "Try to dry him out, Sam, I'm gonna go find out what the fuck is going on in this town."

 **xxxxx**

As they approached the sound, Piper looked over at Dean. "Dean, something really weird is going on here."

He nodded and kept walking, his eyes scanning the area around them for threats. "Yep."

She frowned. "Well? Any ideas?"

"Nope."

"God dammit, Dean."

He shrugged. "What, Pipes? I have no idea what's going on in this shitty little town. What I do know is we gotta fix it, because we gotta fix everything."

Something chilled in her heart. "Not getting burnt out on me, are you, Winchester?"

He shook his head. "No, kitten, just… Just looking forward to that vacation, with beaches and tiny umbrellas."

 **xxxxx**

Dean walked up to the bar, Piper by his side. There were men shouting, two louder than the others.

Paul, the bartender, first. "You come onto my property, spouting some crazy-"

Interrupted by Rob, Dylan's father. "Sorry, Paul, there's no other way!"

When they got in close enough to see, they found Pastor Gideon standing between the men, holding them apart. "Guys, come on, please!"

Dean strode forward. "Need a hand, Padre?"

The man nodded, and Dean took Paul by the arm and hauled him away. "Just, everybody cool down for a minute!" the pastor snapped.

Paul yanked his arm out of Dean's grip, but stayed where he was. "'Cool down?' My friends are trying to run me out of town! Do you think I should 'cool down?'"

There was a weird, fanatic light in Rob's eyes that Dean didn't like. "I'm sorry, Paul. It's not our choice."

Paul rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on. That's bullshit."

Rob shook his head. Dean held an arm out and Piper came to stand next to him while Rob spoke. He didn't want her anywhere near that crazy person, so he slid the arm around her shoulders and pulled her tight against him.

"You've got to go," Rob was saying, "For everyone's sake!"

Paul turned to look at Jane, who had taken up post next to Rob. "We grew up together. I stood at your wedding!"

Jane nodded. "Yes, you did. But that was then. And now you're standing against the flock." She, at least, had some sympathy along with the insanity in her eyes. Dean understood, losing a kid had to make you a little nutty, but this was beyond that. "Don't make this hard for us," she said softly.

Paul blanched. "Hard… Hard for you? No. This is my home. You want me out of here? You'll have to drag me out."

Dean winced and put his hand on Paul's shoulder. "Woah, woah, woah, buddy, you don't want to do this."

Before he could argue his point further, Jane pulled out a gun and pointed it at Paul. "No one's gonna stop me from seeing my son again."

"Jane," Piper snapped. Dean looked down to see his own wife was holding a pistol, pointing it at Jane's husband. He celebrated internally.

"Jane," Piper said softly. "You need to stop and think for a second."

Jane shook her head, but was eyeing Piper nervously. "I've already thought-"

"Not about Paul, Jane," Piper interrupted, her hand never wavering. Dean admired his goddess-like wife, defending the innocent, and being _insanely_ hot while doing it.

"No, Jane, you're going to want to think about me. Because you can bet that I'm a lot faster with this gun than you will be with that one. And then, you're going to want to think long and hard about how much you want to lose today." Piper's eyes flicked to Rob, to whom the gun was pointed, then back to Jane. "Because, while I am _endlessly_ sorry about Dylan, I truly am, I will shoot Rob without a second's hesitation if you try to shoot Paul. Are you willing to bet against me, Jane? Or are you going to put down the fucking gun and let us talk, like goddamn people?"

 **xxxxx**

"Well, that was close," Piper said cheerfully as they ushered Paul into their motel room.

"That was _hot,"_ Dean said fervently. She smiled and bit her lip a little, then turned to see Sam and Castiel staring at them.

"Hi, guys. Jane tried to shoot Paul, so I thought we'd save him instead."

Cass swayed on his feet before falling onto the couch. "It's starting."

Dean frowned. "What's starting? Where the hell have you been?"

"On a bender," the angel snapped.

Dean blinked. "Did he… Did you say 'on a bender?'"

Sam winced and nodded. "Yeah. He's still pretty smashed."

"Who the hell is this guy?" Paul asked incredulously.

"An angel," Piper answered. She sniffed and made a face. "An angel who smells like a brewery."

Paul stared at her. _"What?"_

"It is not of import," Castiel said evenly. "We need to talk about what's happening here."

Dean threw his hands in the air. "Well, I'm all ears."

Sam sighed. "Well, for starters, Leah's not a real prophet."

Piper blinked. "What?"

Paul blinked, too. "What the hell is he talking about?"

Piper shook her head. "What is she, then?"

Castiel looked at her blearily. "The whore."

Dean huffed out a laugh. "Wow. Cass, tell us what you really think."

Castiel turned to look at Dean. "She rises when Lucifer walks the earth. 'And she shall come, bearing false prophecy.' This creature has the power to take a human's form, read minds. Book of Revelation calls her 'the Whore of Babylon.'"

Everyone stared at the angel for a moment . "Well, that's catchy," Dean snarked.

Sam nodded. "The real Leah was probably killed months ago."

" _What?"_ Paul shouted. "What do you mean killed months ago? She was… I mean… She's right there! In the church!"

Piper put a hand on his arm and winced. "Paul, that's not Leah… She's a pretty powerful demon."

He ran a hand through his hair. "Well that is… Fucked up."

Piper nodded miserably. "I know, I'm sorry."

Dean was watching them, then turned back to Cass. "What about the demons attacking the town?"

"They're under her control."

Piper frowned. "And the exorcism?"

"Fake." Cass started to chuckle. "It actually means, 'you, um, breed with the mouth of a goat.'"

Piper stared at him for a moment before Cass looked a little embarrassed. "It's funnier in Enochian."

"I'm sure," Piper said dryly.

Dean shrugged. "So the demons smoking out, that's just a con? Why? What's the endgame?"

Cass pointed. "What you just prevented. Innocent blood spilled in God's name."

Piper's eyes widened. "She's manipulating them. Into thinking they're pious, into thinking that their actions will get them into heaven."

Castiel nodded. "Her goal is to condemn as many souls to hell as possible. And it's… Just beginning. She's well on her way to dragging this whole town into the pit."

Piper nodded. "Okay. How do we waste her?"

 **xxxxx**

Piper snuck into the room that the pastor had told them Leah was staying in. The pastor was in front of her, wielding the stake. She was nervous, she wasn't certain that Gideon would be able to stake his daughter in the chest, but Castiel had made it clear that none of the rest of them made the cut.

She watched nervously as Castiel grabbed Leah from behind and swung her around, holding her arms, presenting her to the pastor.

"Daddy!" Leah cried, "Don't hurt me!"

"Gideon!" Piper shouted, "Now!"

Leah's face twisted and changed, and she began to chant Enochian. Before she could finish, Piper lunged forward and punched her in the face, hard. "Ugh, shut up."

Gideon looked pale. "Who… What was that? Her… Her face…"

Piper placed a hand on his arm. "It's not her, father. It's something else."

He stared at her, and Piper tried to look comforting, but they were running out of time, and she could hear the sounds of struggles coming from the room the boys had gone into.

He nodded once, then looked back at the dazed Leah. He took a deep breath and drove the stake through her chest. Leah cried out, and the door to the small room they were in crashed open. Dean and Sam ran in, followed by several of the townspeople.

Piper grabbed Gideon and pulled him back as Leah's face switched between the demon's true face and the young woman's. The stake lit up and started to smoke.

Piper felt a hand on her arm, and she backed up into Dean, pressing her back to his chest as the stake went up in a fast, hot, bright flame.

Piper looked around to the townspeople, then met Sam and Castiel's gaze. She turned around to look at Dean. "I hate this fucking town."

 **xxxxx**

Later, in the motel, Piper tossed a bottle of ibuprofen to a very hungover Castiel. "I usually take three or four, but you could probably down the whole bottle."

He caught it and looked at her. "Thank you, Piper."

She smiled. "No problem, wings." She stepped closer and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I'm sorry you're having a hard time, Castiel," she said softly.

His arms slowly came around her, then she was being pressed into him. "I… I find myself at a loss."

She leaned back and smiled. "Well, we'll be all right, Cass. We always are."

"Quit mackin' on my wife, Cass."

Piper turned and smiled at Dean, who was shrugging his coat on as he approached them from the motel room. "Hi, handsome. How's the father?"

He shrugged and came to stand next to her. "He just staked his daughter. He's about to drink himself stupid."

Castiel winced. "I would not suggest it."

 **xxxxx**

Piper was drying her hair, the towel draped over her head, when she felt Dean's hands on her hips. She smiled and pulled the towel off to look at him in the mirror through the curtain of her hair. "Hi, you."

He pressed a kiss to her shoulder. "Hi, kitten."

She leaned back into him, finger-combing her hair while she did so. "Hey," she said softly, "Listen, what was that about having to save everything?"

He was kissing his way up her neck. "Hmm, do we have to talk about this, baby?"

She tilted her head, smiling a little. "Yes, Dean, we have to talk about this."

He sighed, then his arms wrapped around her waist and he kept his forehead resting on her shoulder. "I'm just tired, Pipes," he said whispered. "I'm just… Ready to be done with this." He raised his head and his beautiful green eyes met hers in the mirror. "What do you say we take some time off after this, kitten? Some serious, _long_ time off?"

She turned in his embrace and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I don't understand where this is coming from," she said softly, examining his perfect face. "Dean, what's going on?"

He examined her, then, cupped her face and pulled her in to kiss her hard. She melted into him without thinking about it, like she always did. He pulled away and pressed his forehead against hers.

"You're the only thing keeping me going, kitten."

She leaned back to look at him, and she knew he was telling the truth. She _was_ the only thing keeping him going.

She knew it was wildly unhealthy, it was totally fucked. As much as she loved her husband, he should be fighting for the world, because it was the right thing to do, because he generally enjoyed pissing off creatures much more powerful than he was. Not just for her.

But that was a problem for after the apocalypse.

For now, she took the statement for what it was. Another declaration of Dean's devotion to her.

Instead of arguing with him, she went up on tiptoe to kiss him hard, glad that he'd booked them a separate room so she could thoroughly distract her husband from his troubled mind.

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi everyone! Here's my notes:**  
 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**  
 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**  
 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**  
 ****It may be a few extra days before the next update, beautiful readers. We throw a big party every year for the holidays, and I'm running around like a crazy person trying to get ready for it. I'm sorry! 3**


	62. I'll Say Yes

Dean breathed a sigh of relief when they pulled up to Bobby's. Piper had insisted they come here, declaring that they needed a place to rest and regroup. Dean had agreed immediately. Sam had taken some convincing, but when Piper had pointed out that Bobby's was the biggest, deepest source of supernatural knowledge and lore around, he had conceded.

He got out of the car and turned to open the back door for Piper. She smiled and came up to press her lips against his, smiling against him before she turned away to help Sam get the bags out of the trunk.

The night after they'd taken care of the Whore of Babylon, she had… Rocked his world, to put it very lightly. He was still sore in some places, and he had some pictures burned into his mind that he was certain would never leave. He was, once again, grateful for Piper.

She was the only reason he was still going, still fighting. He loved his brother, and he would die for Sam. But Piper had not only never left him, but she'd never betrayed him, never lied to him, had never made him feel like anything less than her hero.

He would walk back into hell for Piper without blinking, but she would _murder_ him for it.

Saying "yes" to Michael had crossed Dean's more than once in the last few days. He felt responsible for the _world,_ and maybe he couldn't save all of it, but he could at least save half of it if he let the archangel use his vessel. He knew that Michael could guarantee Piper's safety, and that was the important thing.

Piper, however, wouldn't see it that way. Piper would _kill_ him, she would track him down and kill him dead if he said "yes" to Michael. She would see it as giving up, and even if he didn't see it that way, even if it _wasn't_ giving up, per se, she would see it that way. And once his wife got an idea in her head, it was damn near impossible to get it out of there.

So, instead of entertaining the idea of being an angel condom, Dean just followed Piper into Bobby's house, and silently relished the feeling of coming home with his woman.

She smiled sunnily when she walked in. "Hi, Bobby!"

He grunted, but it was friendlier than it was when he made the same sound at Sam or Dean. "Get your stuff in here, kids, and let's get to work."

 **xxxxx**

Piper watched Dean settle on the couch next to her, a book in his lap and a drink in her hand. There was still a pleasant ache between her thighs, and a bite mark on her shoulder that throbbed every so often. Dean had been… Desperate, fierce, possessive, and more dominant than he ever had been the night before. It still made heat spiral up through her belly when she thought about it, and the sight of his strong frame towering over her, growling out orders and claiming her with his hands and his lips, would stay with her forever.

She knew it was because he was upset, desperate, and tired. She just hoped that she had helped, that she had lifted his burden for a few hours.

She was still ignoring the research she should be doing and daydreaming about her husband when Castiel appeared with none other than Adam Mulligan in his arms.

She jumped, then frowned. "What the hell, Cass?"

"Something's happening," The angel said ominously.

"Well, Jesus, put him here," she said urgently, leaping off of the couch and smacking Dean on the arm so he would move, too. He grumbled and stood, and they watched together as the angel put Adam down on the couch.

"Welp," Dean said casually, "Fuck."

 **xxxxx**

Piper was watching an anxious Adam play with his food, his eyes darting to the exits. She rolled her eyes. _He's definitely a Winchester._

She walked into the kitchen and slid into the seat across from him. He jumped and stared at her. "Hi, Adam," she said softly, "How you holding up?"

He blinked. "Am I supposed to answer that?"

She shrugged. "You can, or you don't have to. It's honestly up to you."

He shook his head. "No, it's not. You guys can spout the dewy-eyed, bromance thing all you want, but I'm on lockdown."

She sighed and ran a hand through her silvery hair. "Yeah, I'm not gonna lie to you. We're trying to protect you, as offensive as that probably seems to you."

He shook his head and crossed his arms. "Zachariah said you'd say that."

She smiled. "I'll just bet he did, the dick." She sighed. "The angels don't like us much."

"You, specifically," Adam said calmly.

She nodded. "Yeah, I've been kind of a wrench in their plans." She sighed and sat back. "Look, Adam, we just… We just want you to hang out for a few days, okay? I promise, we're trying to do the right thing." She smiled. "It doesn't seem like it now, and the guys are bad at showing it, but you're family, Adam. And that means you're stuck with us."

He scoffed. "Yeah, no offense, being a Winchester doesn't seem like a big thrill ride."

She shook her head. "Oh, it's not. Sometimes it sucks ass." She took a deep breath. "But it _does_ mean fighting for the right thing, and sticking by each other no matter what, even if it means you get hurt so your family makes it." She tried a smile. "Just know that you're part of that, Adam."

He snorted, but looked pensive. "Whatever."

 **xxxxx**

"What the fuck do you mean he's gone, Bobby?" Dean snapped, running his hands through his hair.

" _Dean,"_ Piper scolded, "It's not Bobby's fault. The angels probably took Adam."

He groaned and leaned his head back. "Where would they take him?"

Sam's voice had him sitting back up. "I don't know, but Cass is on it," his younger brother said as he walked into the living room. "We'll find him."

Piper's slender hand on his back had Dean reaching his arm up and over her head to wrap it around her shoulders. "Hopefully before they get to him."

 **xxxxx**

They were still waiting for Cass to return with a report, and Dean was watching Piper bake furiously to keep herself busy.

He watched with appreciation as she moved, her curves highlighted by her tight jeans, her pale hair swept up and twisted around a pen. When she bent over to put a cookie sheet in the oven, he thought his heart might actually stop.

She turned back and smiled wanly at him, reaching behind her to untie the apron she was wearing. Once she pulled it over her head, she slid into the seat next to him. He rested his arm on the back of her chair and slouched down a little so she could lay her head on his shoulder.

She sighed and cuddled into him, her hand landing on his thigh. "I'm scared," she said softly.

He looked down at her, but she didn't return his gaze. "Scared of what, kitten?"

"I think this is a trap, Dean," she said thickly, emotion making her voice tremble, "I think they're going to tell you that it's you or the kid." She looked up at him then, and the resigned look on her face, coupled with the tears in her hazel eyes, killed him a little bit. "And I think you're going to give yourself up for Adam."

He stared down at her, unsure of what to say. "Pipes, I…"

When he couldn't find the words, she let her head rest on his shoulder again. "And I think the worst part is I don't know what I want. I mean, you're… You, and I _love_ you, and you're going to want to save Adam, even at your own risk, because he's family, and because he's an innocent."

"But on the other hand… I don't know if I can do this without you. And no matter what Michael said, I don't know if I believe that he won't leave you a shell. And even if he doesn't, I don't think you could live with yourself if you said yes." She gave a deep sigh. "I just don't know what I want, what to root for."

He didn't know how to comfort her. She was right… On all accounts. She knew him inside and out, she knew _exactly_ what he would do. She was right, if he was given a choice, he would protect Adam. It was so ingrained him to protect his brother that he wouldn't even think about it.

So he just held her until the timer beeped.

 **xxxxx**

Piper stifled her fear as they stepped into the abandoned warehouse. Instead of giving into the terror, she used the nervous energy it gave her to move quickly toward the little "room" the angels had built.

She led the way, and when she opened the door, she was greeted with the sight of Adam, slumped against the far wall.

She ran forward. "Adam!" She knelt by his side, hands on his face. "Adam, talk to be, honey, come on."

His eyes blinked open, and he blearily focused on her. "You came for me."

She smiled and helped him stand. "Well, like I said, you're family."

Adam looked at her for a long moment, then turned to her husband. "Dean, it's a trap."

Dean nodded. "I figured."

"Dean, please," that smarmy voice made Piper's skin crawl, and she turned to glare at Zachariah, who had appeared behind them. "Did you really think it would be that easy?"

Dean smirked. "Did you?"

Piper shoved Adam behind her as Sam attacked Zachariah. "Stay behind me," she told Adam softly, wincing as the angel tossed Sam across the room.

Zachariah turned to smile genially at Dean. "You know what I've learned from this experience, Dean? Patience."

He waved his hand, and an unbelievable pain bloomed in Piper's stomach. She opened her mouth to gasp, but blood came flowing out instead, and she coughed. Everything in her wanted to collapse onto her knees, but she stayed stubbornly standing, trying to shield Adam.

" _Piper!_ " Dean shouted, taking a step toward her. He looked at the angel. "Let her go, you son of a bitch."

Zachariah ignored him to look at Piper. "Curious." He shrugged. "I mean, I thought I was downsized for sure. And for us, a firing… Pretty damn literal. But I should have trusted the boss man. It's all playing out like he said… You, me, your hemorrhaging brothers and whore."

He raised his fist in Sam's direction, then another to Piper and Adam's again. She was vaguely aware that Sam started coughing up blood, too, but her focused narrowed to the second wave of agony in her stomach. " _Fuck!"_ She screamed, finally feeling her knees give out.

Adam caught her, and she was grateful to see that he was fine, she had managed to shield him again.

"Oh, God, Piper!"

 **xxxxx**

Dean watched Piper slump, ice and fear and rage gripping his heart as he watched blood pour from her mouth. He turned and saw Sam on his knees, also trying to breathe through the blood.

Zachariah was smirking. "You're finally ready, right?"

Dean couldn't year his eyes away from Piper, who was being held by a petrified Adam.

"You know there's no other choice. There's never been a choice."

"Stop it," Dean begged, "Stop it right now!"

The angel was still smiling. "In exchange for what?"

Dean closed his eyes and honestly, truly thought about saying "yes."

What other plan did they have? He could guarantee that Piper would be safe, he would save _some_ people, and he could stop fighting. Any other way, he had no idea if she would be safe, or if they would make it out. This way, he would know for sure.

He opened his eyes, and met hers. They were tear-filled, and she was still coughing, but those hazel depths were… Serene.

She would accept whatever he did without anger.

She _trusted_ him.

 _Well, fuck that then._

Mind moving quickly, forming a battle plan, Dean kept the devastated look on his face when he turned to look at the angel. "Fuck, Zachariah. Stop it, please. I'll do it."

"I'm sorry. What was that?" The angel asked playfully.

"Okay, yes. The answer is yes. Just, please…"

"Dean!" Sam shouted, but Piper's eyes just filled with more tears as she leaned against Adam.

"Do you hear me?" Dean snapped. "Call Michael down, you bastard!"

"How do I know you're not lying?" Zachariah demanded.

Dean met the angels gaze. "Do I look like I'm lying?"

Zachariah smiled and snapped his fingers. Dean heard Piper's breathing even out, and he closed his eyes in relief as Zachariah started chanting. When he opened them, he met Piper's gaze and shot her a slow, deliberate wink. He flicked his eyes over to Sam and did the same.

" _Zodiredo… Noco… Aberamage… Nazodpesade…_ He's coming."

"Of course, I have a few conditions," Dean said casually.

The angel whipped around. "What?"

Dean shrugged, a fierce satisfaction roaring in his chest. "A few people whose safety you have to guarantee before I say yes."

Zach's eyes flicked to Piper. "Sure, fine. Make a list."

Dean let his smirk become a feral sort of smile. "But most of all… Michael can't have me until he disintegrates you." He caught Piper's victorious grin out of the corner of his eye.

The angel froze. "What did you say?"

Dean smiled and stepped forward. "I said… Before Michael gets one piece of this sweet ass… He has to turn _you_ into a piece of charcoal."

"You really think Michael's gonna go for that?"

Dean stepped forward again. "Who's more important to him now? You… Or me?"

"You listen to me," Zachariah snarled, closing the distance between them. "You are nothing but a maggot inside a worm's ass. Do you know who I am after I deliver you to Michael?"

"Expendable."

Zachariah got close, into Dean's face. "Michael's not gonna kill me."

Dean shrugged. "Maybe not. But I am."

He whipped the angel blade out of his jacket and jammed it up through Zachariah's chin, turning away when white light burst from the now-dead angel. He let the body drop and turned to help Sam to his feet. "You good?"

Sam nodded, and Dean looked over at Adam helping Piper out. Dean met the kid's eyes and nodded then walked out the door with Sam's arm draped over his shoulders.

As soon as they were out, the door slammed behind them. Dean whirled and tried the doorknob, but it didn't move.

"Piper! God dammit, _Piper!"_

"Dean!" "Dean!" He heard them both calling for him, and helpless rage welled in his heart.

" _Piper!"_

 **xxxxx**

Piper turned and pushed Adam behind her as the white light coming from the ceiling became blinding. "Stay behind me!" She shouted, closing her eyes and resisting the urge to cover her ears.

Strong hands were on her shoulders, and they suddenly pushed her away. She cried out and stumbled, then turned to see Adam staring at the white light defiantly. The proud line of his body and stubborn set of his jaw marked him as Winchester.

"Adam!" She cried, trying to be heard over the whining, piercing noise ringing through the air.

"Let her go!" Adam shouted into the light. "Let her go, and I'll say yes!"

" _No!"_ She cried, scrambling to her feet. "No, _Adam!"_

She ran toward him, and almost got close enough to touch him before the world swirled away from her.

She opened her eyes and she was standing outside the warehouse, a few yards from Sam and Dean. Dean was facing away from her, and Sam was speaking urgently and softly.

She was in shock, so she just waited for Sam to see her. When he did, his eyes widened, and he grabbed Dean's shoulders and turned him around.

Those panicked green eyes met hers, and she felt her face start to crumple.

"Piper!" He ran to her, crushing her to him as soon as he got there. "Jesus, Piper, what happened?"

She buried her face in his chest, inhaling his scent deeply. "It was Adam, he said yes to save me, Dean we have to _save_ him-"

His lips pressed to her head soothed her into silence. "We will, Pipes, we will."

 **xxxxx**

Dean held Piper that night as she slept, his head leaned onto the back of the couch. She had fallen asleep during frantic research. She had barely sat still since they'd gotten back, desperate to find a way to save Adam.

Dean understood, and had researched alongside her until she's started to nod off. Once that had begun. He'd gathered her into his arms and sat back on the couch with her, holding her while she cried herself to sleep.

He realized that she had never had anything like that occur. Piper was generally too smart to get into situations that would require someone to sacrifice themselves for her. Not that this instance had been her fault, but he had realized that it didn't matter. The guilt was the same.

He was grateful Adam had done what he couldn't, but that was one of the thoughts Dean was certain would send him straight back to hell when the time came.

And if their was anything Dean understood intimately, it was guilt. So he would guide his wife through this the best he could, and he would let his own guilt settle in his heart.

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi everyone! Here's my notes:**  
 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**  
 **Reviews, comments, and kudos give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**  
 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**  
 ****I'm back! I missed you guys!**


	63. The Long Way Around

Dean watched Piper press her fingers to her temple, knowing that she was fighting back a migraine. They had been on the road for a week solid now, working to find a way to kill Lucifer, moving nonstop since they had lost Adam. The three of them had gotten maybe five hours of sleep in the last five days, and he could tell that it was taking a toll on his wife.

Even if she _was_ the most beautiful woman in the world, which she was, and always had been, she looked tired. There were bags under her eyes behind the sunglasses she was wearing, he could tell she had lost some weight, and she was paler than usual. He didn't like it.

He took the coffee from the woman at the stand he'd stopped at and sipped it to make sure it was right before he approached Piper. When he got to her, she was facing away from him, on the phone with a hoodoo woman in New Orleans. He pressed his chest against her back and laid little kisses on her neck. She tilted her head and he heard the smile in her voice. He wrapped his arms around her and put the cup of coffee in her hand, listening to her finish her conversation.

The sight of her coughing up blood, falling to her knees, fighting to save Adam, was burned into his mind. It still made his heartbeat quicken with fear to think of it, and he pulled her close and buried his face in her neck to banish the image.

She hung up the phone and leaned back into him, taking a sip of the coffee. She took a deep breath, then let it out explosively. "All right," she said calmly, "Mara in New Orleans is a go. She'll be ready in two days." She turned to look at him. "Do you think we can get there by then?"

He nodded. "Yeah, kitten, we can do that."

"Do what?" Sam asked, coming up from Piper's other side.

She smiled. "The hoodoo woman in New Orleans is willing to help. She says she's sensed some bad going on for a while, so she wants us to come to her, so she can 'see what she can see.'"

Sam nodded. "All righty, when do we leave?"

 **xxxxx**

Sam watched Dean drive while Piper dozed in the back. With the way his brother was driving, they were going to make New Orleans in plenty of time, so Sam sat back and tried to sleep.

They had all been stretched thin, anxiously running from one source to another, desperately trying to find a way to fix the second biggest mistake he'd ever made in his damn life. Sam knew that Dean blamed him, although his big brother never said anything. It was the look in his eyes when he looked at Sam, the way he had subtly stopped putting Sam behind him. Only Piper was trusted to watch Dean's back now.

Piper, however, hadn't changed a bit. She was still affectionate and warm. She insisted, as she had from the beginning, that they had been played, that it wasn't their fault. Sam and Dean grumbled and reluctantly agreed, at least out loud, where she could hear them.

Piper was scary.

Although right now, curled up in the backseat, her hand tucked under her cheek, she certainly didn't look it. Right now, she looked more like the teenager they'd saved than the woman who had faced off against angels and demons alike and come out on top.

"Dean," Sam said softly. "After this apocalypse thing, you and Pipe should take some time away from hunting."

Dean raised his eyebrows and looked over at him. "What?"

Sam nodded. "I'm serious, Dean. I mean, you guys just got married. You should… I don't know, take a month. Take Piper on a honeymoon, go get drunk on a beach somewhere. You guys should… Take some time off."

Dean stared at the road for a while, and Sam assumed that he was being ignored until his brother spoke again.

"You might be right, Sammy."

Sam smiled when he realized that Dean had already planned on taking Piper away. Sam was a little overcome, all of the sudden, by how happy he was for his brother. Sam had been the one who wanted the wife and kids, the career and the picket fence. But if someone else had to get it, if someone else had to get even a _piece_ of what Sam had wanted, he couldn't think of anyone who deserved it more than Dean and Piper.

"Dean, why don't you let me drive the rest of the way?"

 **xxxxx**

Piper sighed when the car pulled over, woke up enough to realize she wasn't needed, and let herself fade back into sleep.

She woke up a little again when Dean slid into the backseat with her. He sat on one side and pulled her into his lap, where she went willingly. She didn't know why he was back there with her, and she didn't particularly care. She tucked her head under his chin and cuddled into his chest as the Impala started moving again.

The last few days had been _terrible._ They had been met with dead end after dead end after dead end. Bobby was on the job, as was Garth, but nothing had come up yet. Piper was fighting a near-constant migraine, and she was absolutely exhausted.

But the pain in her head faded a little when Dean wrapped his arms around her. She breathed in his musk deeply, letting it relax her more than she had thought possible. She cuddled into him with a sigh and fell back into a warm, almost happy sleep, filled with dreams of beaches and tiny umbrellas.

 **xxxxx**

"Piper Finley, as I live and breathe!"

Piper smiled and pulled the woman into a hug. "Hi, Mara. And it's Piper Winchester now."

Mara was a beautiful woman, with skin the color of dark chocolate and wide almond-shaped eyes. She was dressed in a long, flowing robe, and had an easy smile and a quick wit.

Piper had met Mara when she was seventeen, still grieving for her parents, still training to become a hunter. Mara had been one of Bobby's contacts, and he had sent Piper to her for a summer for a couple of reasons. The first being that he was on a long-term hunt with Rufus Turner. The second because Piper had been ravenous for knowledge, constantly asking questions and reading everything she could get her hands on. Mara could help with that, and she did.

Piper and Mara had become close very quickly. Piper was in awe of Mara's powers, and Mara was delighted to pass on some of her vast knowledge. Piper learned some voodoo, some hoodoo, and some basic witchcraft. She never used any of the knowledge, but since she had a basic understanding of how the mechanics worked, she was able to use the information to be a more effective hunter.

Piper very much liked Mara, which was one of the reasons she'd called her to help.

"What?!" Mara cried. "And why wasn't I invited? You married your Dean Winchester and I wasn't invited?!"

Piper laughed as Dean and Sam came up to stand behind her. "You know me, Mara. It was an impromptu ceremony in the backyard, very little fuss."

One perfectly shaped eyebrow rose. "That's not the wedding you wanted when we met."

Piper blushed furiously, and Dean grinned. _"Really?"_ He asked happily. "Was it still me?"

Mara tossed her head back and laughed. "Oh, yes. Piper has been in love with you _forever,_ Mr. Winchester."

Piper felt Dean's arm slip around her waist, his chest rumbling with laughter. "Is that so?"

"Well!" She said loudly, "As much fun as this has been, we have some work to do."

Mara nodded, and the atmosphere sobered. "Indeed we do." She backed up and waved her arm. "Come on in, Winchester Three. Let's see if we can't catch a devil."

Piper smiled and led the way in, a feeling of deja vu overwhelming her. "Mara, you haven't changed a thing."

The walls were absolutely covered with tapestries, canvases, and paintings, depicting everything from gorgeous picnics to gory battle scenes. In between the images in the walls were trinkets, beads, dream catchers, and everything in between. Gauzy, colorful curtains covered the windows, and stained glass lamps put off a warm glow through the house. It looked like a hoodoo woman lived there.

Mara chuckled and watched the men look around with wide eyes. "Why fix what isn't broken?"

She led them into a small room that was very different from the busy, cozy feel of the rest of the house. The unadorned walls were painted black, and there was a small table in the middle of the room covered with a black tablecloth.

"Everyone in, sit, let's get right to it," Mara said, shooing them into the room and shutting the door behind her.

Piper moved to take the farthest seat, but Dean's hand on her arm stopped her. He took that seat instead, and directed her toward the middle, between he and Sam. She rolled her eyes, but sat where he wanted her to sit. She didn't want to fight with him right now.

Mara's dark eyes watched the exchange with a smirk. "Very good, Mr. Winchester," she said gently. "I do need your wife in the middle." At Piper's confused look, the psychic explained. "My connection is strongest with you, my dear. Although…" She gave Sam a long look up and down. "We could change that."

Piper tossed her head back and laughed at the flabbergasted look on Sam's face. "Be nice, Mara," Piper chided, "You would chew him up and spit him out."

Mara nodded, her eyes not leaving Sam. "Yes, _yes_ I would." She shook her head. "But, you're right. Let's get started." She held out her hands, palms up. "Everyone hold hands."

Piper nodded and saw Sam and Dean do the same on either side of her as she reached to link hands with the brothers. Piper let her eyes drift shut as Mara closed her own eyes and started to hum.

 **xxxxx**

Mara Pink was a smart woman and a good psychic. She loved Piper like a distant sister you don't talk to anymore, and she wanted to help. She wanted to help because she could sense evil in the air. Ever since Lucifer had stepped foot onto Earth again, evil was in the air. Mara knew it, Piper knew it, everyone knew it.

So here she was, with the Winchester Three, when everyone knew the last psychic who had helped them died. And Pamela had been a friend.

But this was _Piper,_ and Piper was family. Distant family that Mara tended to not want to get mixed up in, because Piper and her little crew tended to get into some fucked up stuff, but family nonetheless. So she would help.

Despite her unending curiosity when it came to Sam and Dean Winchester, Mara swore to herself that she would do her best to stay out of their minds. It was rude to read someone's mind without their permission, and that was not what she was here to do, anyway. She had to try to help them.

Sam was easy to ignore, and she had taught Piper basic shielding skills, so Piper's mind was easy it ignore, too.

What distracted her was _Dean._

There, from his chest, it was like a goddamn spotlight. Shining across the veil, and the three planes of existence that Mara Pink could see, was Dean Winchester's absolute, soul-deep, romance-novel-level love for his wife. It shook Mara to the core, and she couldn't help but reach into his mind just a bit.

 _Love for Sam, love for Bobby, mixed feelings for his father. Admiration for Castiel, Angel of the Lord, a burgeoning friendship there. A sick feeling about the apocalypse, a feeling of being a soldier without a commander. He doesn't realize how smart he is, how good he is at what he does. He sees himself as a grunt, not a genius. Betrayal from Sam, worry for Bobby, wariness still of the angel._

All of that, buried under how much he adores Piper Winchester.

Endlessly curious now, Mara went against her usual code and took a peek around Piper's shields. And was floored again. The same light, just as radiant, shone from Piper's chest.

 _Love for Bobby, love for Sam, love for her parents, love for Castiel, good Lord the woman is made of love. Determination to stop the apocalypse, determination to convince the Winchesters that it wasn't their fault. Grief for friends recently lost, old wounds from family lost long ago. Happy, bright, warm._

 _All of that, buried under how endlessly she loves Dean Winchester._

Mara felt tears pool in her eyes, but she fought with herself to keep her composure. She wasn't here to get all goo-goo eyed about her friend and her husband. She had shit to do.

So she entered the second plane of existence, looking for the future.

 _What she saw there didn't surprise her, but it did sadden her._

 _There would be a battle. The angels appeared as lights, almost as bright as Dean's love for his wife. The archangels were misshapen, almost double the size that beings were on this plane. It told Mara that they were possessing humans._

 _They faced each other, posturing, like men tended to do (Mara was of the impression that the only reason anything ever got done was because men were so busy posturing that women could work in peace). There were three humans. She recognized Piper warm lavender hue in her light, much dimmer than the angel lights. There were two men, but she couldn't distinguish who was who. And one more angel, just this side of dimmer than the two archangels._

 _Suddenly, one of the archangel lights disappeared. Then the other angel, Piper's light, and one of humans followed suit, leaving just an archangel and a human. Some time passed, and the lights got very close. Mara thought they were probably attacking one another._

 _Then the archangel stepped back, and the other archangel appeared again. A few beats, and they both disappeared._

 _The other, dimmer angel reappeared. As did Piper and the other human._

Mara opened her eyes to look at the brave people in front of her.

"What?" Piper asked, her voice filled with dread.

Mara sighed. "You will win. There won't be a big battle. But there will be a heavy price."

 **xxxxx**

Dean pulled Piper close in the front seat of Baby on the way from New Orleans. Her head rested on his shoulder, her warmth sinking into him.

The news wasn't good. _A heavy price._ That sounded like someone was going to die. And Dean had already decided it would be him.

He couldn't give Sam up. He _couldn't._ The instinct to protect Sam was too much a part of him. If it came down to it, Dean would die a thousand times to save Sam. So when it happened, Dean would take the bullet for his brother.

And Piper wasn't even an option. _Obviously_ Piper wasn't going to die.

"Whatcha thinking, handsome?" She asked sleepily from his shoulder.

He smiled, knowing she would disapprove of his _actual_ thoughts. "So, you wanted something different for our wedding?"

She smiled and pressed her face into his shoulder. "Maybe…" She chuckled. "I was seventeen, shut up."

He sobered. "Seventeen?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I was a little crazy."

He squeezed her lightly. "I dunno, look at where we are now."

She smiled up at him. "I always knew it was you, Dean. We just took the long way around."

He nodded, thinking about the life he'd led. The women who hadn't meant anything but a night of fun, the drinking, the botched attempts at relationships.

All because he'd fallen in love with a skinny sixteen-year-old with hazel eyes the moment he'd laid eyes on her.

"Yeah, kitten," he said thickly, "The long way around."

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi everyone! Here's my notes:**  
 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**  
 **Reviews, comments, and kudos give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**  
 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**  
 ****I thought we deserved some fluff before the heartbreak.**


	64. Nobody's Giving Up

Piper wrung her hair out under the awning in front of the very nice hotel they'd found in the thunderstorm. Dean stood with her, looking around. "Whew. Nice digs, for once."

Piper smiled and nodded, tossing her still wet hair over her shoulder. "It's pretty fancy."

He pulled her close and nuzzled her neck. "We should see about getting separate rooms," he murmured, his low voice making her toes curl in her sneakers.

She laughed and pushed at his chest. "Dean, Sam will murder us if we do that " She picked up their bags and kissed him chastely. "Come on, handsome, let's see if they have coffee."

Instead, he put a hand on the back of her head and pulled her close to kiss her senseless. Despite her objections, Piper dropped her bag and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him back fiercely. When he nipped at her bottom lip, she opened for him eagerly. She sucked on his tongue lightly, smiling against his lips when he shuddered.

She was pulled out of her haze at the sound of the hotel's door opening and Sam's noise of displeasure. "Are you guys kidding me? Jesus, get the fuck in here."

Dean smiled and bent to pick up their bags, keeping one arm around her. "Sammy's in a bad mood," he whispered, his green eyes sparkling.

She smiled up at him, heat still curling through her lazily. "Probably because you're incorrigible."

He grinned at her and she led them inside, all warm and fuzzy in her heart. She smiled at Sam winningly, and he smiled back. There had been no heat in his words, even though Piper knew he was anxious about stopping tonight.

Dean was looking at the bustling lobby. "Busy night," he commented to the front desk clerk.

The clerk smiled. "Any port in a storm, I guess." He chuckled and slid a form across the counter. "If you could just fill this out, please."

Piper smiled politely. "Sure."

As she finished the form, the front desk clerk looked at Dean. "Sir, I think…" He pointed to his own neck. "Shaving nick there."

Dean put a hand to his neck, and when he looked at it, Piper saw the blood there. She frowned, her mind racing as the clerk gave her the keys to the room. _Did he shave today?_

Dean didn't seem perturbed, but ice touched the base of Piper's spine as her husband gave the clerk a friendly smile. "Oh. Thanks. Hey, you wouldn't happen to have a coffee shop, would you?"

The clerk waved his hand to one side. "Buffet. All you can eat. Best pie in the tri-state area."

Piper's worries to a backseat as Dean's face lit up. "You don't say?"

 **xxxxx**

Piper couldn't shake her negative feeling when they sat down to eat. Sam, apparently, felt the same way.

"We should hit the road, Dean."

Piper sighed as Dean snorted. "In this storm? It's-"

"It's biblical." Sam interrupted. "Exactly. I-it's fuckin' Noah's ark out there, and we're eating pie."

Dean sighed and put his fork down. "How many hours of sleep did you get this week? What? Three? Four? Bobby's got his feelers out, so does Garth, so does Piper, okay? We have talked with every witch doctor and root woman in twelve states."

Sam sat back. "Yeah, well, I'm not giving up."

Piper frowned. "Nobody's giving up. Especially me. We're going to find a way to beat the devil. And we will find Cas, we will find Adam. But you two are no good if you're burnt out, and we could barely drive anyway, Sam."

Dean looked offended. "Excuse you, I'm an excellent driver."

Sam ignored his brother and sighed. "Yeah. Yeah, okay."

Dean nodded. "Come on, we've actually got the night off for once. Let's try to enjoy it."

 **xxxxx**

An extremely suspicious Piper walked out of her and Dean's room later, intending to look for Sam. To her surprise, he was already in the hallway, striding towards her. She frowned, noting that there was blood on his neck, when she felt something _bite_ her on her own. Her hand flew up to it, and her eyes widened when she felt the blood there. "What the fuck?"

"Where is everybody?" Sam asked.

"Blood magic," Piper breathed in horror as realization dawned. "Someone's using blood magic on us."

Sam frowned. "What?"

"It's the only thing that makes sense. Dean didn't shave today, and why the hell would my neck be bleeding?"

Dean came to stand next to her, seeming to come out of nowhere. "Let's go find out what's going on here." She nodded and followed him down the stairs to the lobby.

 **xxxxx**

When they got there, he was still grumbling. "One night off, is that too much to ask?"

Piper patted his arm sympathetically and moved toward the kitchen, the only room that was closed off to her view. She stepped in and started looking around, listening to Dean come in behind her.

As she looked through a cupboard, he stopped at the boiling pot on the stove. He picked up a ladle and made a face. "Please be tomato soup. Please be tomato soup."

She turned away, but turned back at his sound of disgust. He was dropping the ladle back into the pot with a look of disgust that told her it was _not_ tomato soup. "Motel hell."

"Guys! I found where everyone went."

Piper followed the sound of Sam's grim voice to find him picking the lock of the walk-in freezer. People were banging on the door from the inside.

She ran over and tried to soothe them through the window. "It's going to be okay, we're going to get you out."

"Hurry up!" Dean snapped from behind her.

Sam turned to give him a bitchface. "I'm going as fast as… I… Can…"

Piper turned and her eyes widened. "Oh, dear," she said softly.

Dean winced. "There's someone behind me, isn't there?"

 **xxxxx**

"The archangels," The goddess Kali started, "the only thing they understand is violence. This ends in blood. There is no other way. It's them, or us."

Piper was reeling. She'd never _seen_ so much power in a room, and she'd been with archangels. She was as human as it came, and the little hairs on the back of her neck were standing up. _Oh, dear,_ she thought again.

"With all due respect, ma'am," the "clerk" from the front desk said, "we haven't even tried talking to them."

Without warning, the man began to choke on his own blood. Piper put a hand over her mouth, and Dean wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her close.

"Kali!" Baldur shouted.

Kali was still glaring at the "clerk." "Who asked you?"

The doors behind them flung open and Piper whirled to see Gabriel standing there.

"Can't we all just get along?" he asked cheerfully.

Dean opened his mouth, presumably to say, "Gabriel," but his words were choked off in his throat. So instead, Piper turned to look at the archangel. "Loki," she said formally.

He winked at her. "Hey, precious." He looked at the Winchester brothers. "Sam! Dean! It's always wrong place, worse time with you muttonheads, huh?"

"Loki," Baldur bit out.

Gabriel grinned. "Baldur! Good seeing you, too! I guess my invitation got lost in the mail." The tension between the two men was thick.

"Why are you here?"

"To talk about the elephant in the room! Not you," Gabriel snapped when Ganesh stood, indignant. "The apocalypse. But first things first." He turned to Piper, Sam, and Dean. "The adults need to have a little conversation. Check you later."

Piper blinked, and they were in their room again. "Holy shit," she said softly.

"Tell me about it," Sam said vehemently. "And by the way, the next time I say let's keep driving, let's keep fucking driving."

"Done," Piper agreed. "What the fuck are we going to do?"

Dean shrugged, running a hand through his hair. "I… I don't know. Grab those poor saps outta the freezer? Gank a few freaks along the way, if we're lucky?"

Gabriel appeared behind Dean, and sent him and Sam flying across the room. "You stupid bastards," he hissed, "what the hell are you doing here?"

"Gabriel," Piper snapped.

He shook his head, still staring at the brothers. "You idiots, what the hell did you drag her here for? They're going to kill you out there, and you think, what, they're just gonna let her go?"

"Okay, well, first of all, they did not 'drag' me here," Piper said nastily, moving to help Sam and Dean to their feet. "And second of all, what the hell do you care?"

Gabriel groaned. "One of two women I've ever given a damn about, and she's bitching at me for coming to save her. What's happening to me?"

Piper rolled her eyes, but felt her heart warm toward the archangel. "Save it. Do you have a plan?"

"Do they have a chance?" Sam asked quickly. "Against Satan? Do those gods out there have a chance?"

"Really, Sam?" Dean asked incredulously.

"You got a better idea, Dean?"

"Bad idea," Gabriel said, "Lucifer's gonna turn them into finger paint. So let's get going while the going's good, huh?"

Dean nodded. "Great. Why don't you just zap us outta here, then?"

Gabriel shook his head. "Would if I could, but Kali's got you by the short and curlies. It's a blood spell. You kids are on a leash."

Piper frowned. "I knew it."

Gabriel winked at her. "I can take care of it, precious."

She frowned harder. "What does _that_ mean?"

Gabriel grinned and pulled out a tube of breath spray. "It means it's time for a bit of the old black magic." He sprayed into his mouth while Piper rolled her eyes.

Dean just glared at the archangel. "Okay, yeah, well, whatever. We're gonna take the hors d'oeuvres in the freezer with us."

Gabriel shook his head again. "Forget it. It's gonna be hard enough sneaking you mooks outta here."

Dean opened his mouth, but Piper interrupted him. "I'm not going anywhere without the other people, Gabriel. So go do whatever it is you need to do, we can get out of this ourselves."

Gabriel groaned again. "Precious, honey, dollface, you're killing me."

She glared. "Call me dollface again and I will be."

He sighed heavily. "Fine. Go get your kids out of the freezer."

 **xxxxx**

They were tossed unceremoniously back into the ballroom after a failed rescue attempt, and Piper thought this time they might not make it out.

She tried to make her peace with that when her eyes landed on Gabriel glaring at Kali. "How long have you known?"

The goddess shrugged. "Long enough."

Dean helped Piper to her feet, then looked over at Gabriel. "How's the rescue going?"

Kali smirked. "Surprise, surprise. The Trickster has tricked us."

Gabriel winced. "Kali, don't."

"You're mine now," she said evenly, "and you have something I want." She reached into his jacket and pulled out the angel blade. "An archangel's blade, from the archangel, Gabriel."

There was discontented muttering, and Piper winced. Gabriel shrugged. "Okay, okay, so I got wings, like Kotex. But that doesn't make me any less right about Lucifer."

Kali glared. "He's lying. He's a spy."

Piper snorted, and the goddess whirled. "Something to say, you little bitch?"

Dean stiffened beside her, but Piper just shrugged. "If he's a spy, he's a terrible one. I mean, if he was a spy, he would have already called the other archangels down here."

Kali looked at Gabriel, who nodded eagerly. "I'm a runaway, Kali. I'm trying to save you. I know my brother. He should scare the living shit out of you. You can't beat him, I've skipped ahead, seen how this story ends-"

 _"Your_ story," the goddess spat. "Not ours. Westerners, I swear. The sheer arrogance. You think you're the only ones on earth? You pillage and you butcher in your God's name. But you're not the only religion, and he's not the only God. And now you think you can just rip the planet apart? You're wrong. There are billions of us. And we were here first. If anyone gets to end this world, it's me." Something like regret briefly flashed in her face. "I'm sorry."

Kali stepped forward and stabbed Gabriel in the chest. Piper screamed and turned away as a huge flash of white light lit the room for a moment.

 _Oh, no, oh, God…_ Piper wished that she was just upset because their best chance of escape had just died, but that wasn't it. She had… _Liked_ the archangel, his unwillingness to help stop the apocalypse notwithstanding. And now he was another among her friends that was dead.

"This is crazy," the "clerk" from the front desk breathed.

Kali was smiling, but Piper thought it looked disingenuous. "They can die. We can kill Lucifer."

"All right, you primitive screwheads!" Dean shouted suddenly, walking forward. "Listen up!"

"Are you out of your mind?" Piper hissed, walking forward with him.

"Outta options, kitten," he said shortly, not looking at her. "Now, on any other given day, I'd be doing my damnedest to, uh, kill you. You filthy murdering chimps. But, uh, hey, desperate times. So even though I'd love nothing better than to slit your throats, you dicks, I'm gonna help you. I'm gonna help you ice the devil. And then we can all get back to ganking each other like normal. You want Lucifer, well, dude's not in the Yellow Pages. But me, Sam, and Piper, we can get him here."

"How?" Kali's eyes had narrowed suspiciously.

Piper stepped forward to stand next to Dean and took his hand. "First, you let the people in the freezer go. Then we'll talk."

Dean nodded. "We can either take on the devil together, or you lame-ass bitches can eat me. Literally."

 **xxxxx**

"I heard you in there," Gabriel said earnestly from the backseat of Baby, where he'd surprised Dean. "Kali likes you. You can get close. Lift the plasma, then we vamoose."

Dean shook his head incredulously. "No. Hand over the real angel blade. Better yet, sack up and help us take down Lucifer."

"You can't be serious?"

"Deadly."

Gabriel snorted. "Since when are you butt buddies with a bunch of monsters? That's all they are to you, aren't they?"

Dean shook his head. "It's a bad idea, but it's the only one we've got."

Gabriel shook his head and grabbed Dean's shoulder. "Dean, you gotta get Piper out of here."

Dean frowned. "Why do you care?"

The angel groaned. "Because, I don't _know_ why. But the only two beings I care about are in there, and you have the power to get one of them out. _Get her out of here, Dean."_

 **xxxxx**

"So you're going to summon Lucifer." Kali said skeptically.

Sam nodded. "Sort of. I just need you to squeegee some stuff from my ribs and he'll come running."

"Breaking them would be easier," Kali purred.

Piper stepped forward to snap at her, but was interrupted by Dean coming back in. He came over to stand next to them.

"Show's over. Sword's a fake, and Gabriel, he's still kicking. I hate to break it to you, sister, but you've been tricked."

Before anyone could respond, the lights started to flicker. Piper looked up frowning. "What the fuck?"

Baldur frowned, too. "What's happening?"

There were screams from outside the ballroom, and a wet explosion.

Sam paled. "It's him."

Kali approached them. "How?"

"Does it matter?" Dean snapped. "Shazam us outta here, would you?"

Baldur came to stand with them, too. "We can't."

Piper's stomach rolled when Lucifer walked in either a friendly smile on his face. "Of course you can't. You didn't say 'mother, may I?'" He nodded. "Sam, Dean, Piper, good to see you again."

He looked _terrible._ There were big patches of raw skin on his face, and he was pale and drawn. If she didn't know better, Piper would have thought the devil wasn't feeling well.

Baldur snarled and stalked forward. Kali blanched. "Baldur, don't!"

"You think you own the planet?" The god asked in a low, vicious voice. "What gives you the right?"

Baldur confronted Lucifer, but before he could get close enough to hurt him, Lucifer stabbed Baldur through the chest, ripping his heart out with his hand. Baldur fell to ground, dead.

"No one gives us the right," Lucifer said dispassionately, "we take it."

Kali growled and flames started to dance up her arms. Piper turned in unison with the brothers, and they dove behind one of the tables as flames erupted through the room. Piper peeked over the table to see Lucifer punch Kali in the face, knocking her to the ground.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and Piper turned to see Gabriel. Despite everything, she smiled. "Joining the fight?"

He smirked. "Better late than never, huh?" He leaned around her to put a DVD in Dean's hands. "Guard this, with your _life."_

Gabriel stood, angel blade in hand. He strode over to where Kali lay on the ground. "Luci," he said jauntily, "I'm ho-ome."

Lucifer frowned and started forward, but stopped when Gabriel raised the blade. "Not this time." He held a hand to Kali, who accepted it and stood. "Guys!" Gabriel shouted, not taking his eyes off of Lucifer. "Get the girls outta here."

Dean took Piper's elbow and led her away, with Sam doing the same for Kali.

Lucifer's words were ringing through the hallway as they ran away. "Over a girl. Gabriel, really? I mean I knew you were slumming, but I hope you didn't catch anything."

They ran to the Impala, Dean pulling his keys out as they did.

Kali was upset when they ushered her into the car. "Lucifer is going to kill him. Why would he do this?"

Piper put a hand on the goddess's arm as they pulled away. "Because he loves you."

Kali looked at her, surprised. "Why would you think that?"

Piper smiled sadly. "He looks at you the way Dean looks at me."

 **xxxxx**

They dropped Kali off a few miles away. Piper was frowning. "Are you sure you'll be okay?"

Kali looked at her coldly. "I am a goddess. Of course I will prosper."

Chastened, Piper nodded. "Okay, then." She let the silence reign for a few moments, then, "I'm sorry for your loss."

Kali glared at her. "You're a hunter, you're sorry for nothing."

Piper shrugged and leaned into Dean when he came to stand next to her. "I'm a hunter, but I'm in love. I'm sorry you lost that."

Kali stared at her for a moment, an unidentifiable emotion flickering in her haughty gaze, then disappeared.

 **xxxxx**

Piper was glaring at the laptop screen on top of the Impala. "Did an archangel give us porn to watch? Because I will find a way to slap him."

"Sam, Dean, precious!" Gabriel said happily, pulling the fake mustache off of his lip. "You're probably wondering what the hell is going on. Well, if you're watching this, I'm dead." He held his hands up mockingly. "Oh, please! Stop sobbing, it's embarrassing for all of us. Without me, you've got zero shot at killing Lucifer, sorry!" The smile slipped off of Gabriel's face. "But you _can_ trap him. The cage you sprung Lucifer from? _It's still down there._ And maybe, just maybe, you can shove his ass back in. Not that it'll be easy. You gotta get the cage open, trick my bro back into it. And uh, oh yeah, avoid Michael and the God squad. But hey, details, right? And here's the big secret, Lucifer himself doesn't even know, the key to the cage? It's out there. Actually it's keys, plural. Four keys, well, four rings. From the Horsemen. You get 'em all, you got the cage. Can't say I'm betting on you boys. But, uh, hey! I've been wrong before."

There was a sudden, somber air around the archangel, and it pinged at Piper's heart. "Precious, if you're there, I'm sorry. I hope I helped, and if I died, I hope it makes up for some of the shit I pulled. And Dean, you were right. I was afraid to stand up to my brother, not any more. So this is me, standing up."

Suddenly, Gabriel whirled and grabbed the woman in the video, tossing her onto the bed. "And this is me, laying down."

Sam winced and shut the laptop. "Ugh."

Piper stared at the laptop, emotions swirling through her.

"How the fuck are we gonna get Lucifer in the cage?"

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi everyone! Here's my notes:**  
 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**  
 **Reviews, comments, and kudos give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**  
 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**  
 ****Happy holidays, beautiful readers! I hope everyone who celebrates Christmas had a good time, and everyone who doesn't ALSO had a good time. I actually celebrate Yule, and in case you aren't familiar, that means I stayed up all damn night and am now exhausted. On top of that, we're fostering five-week-old puppies (named Winch and Chester, wink wink), so the next chapter may take an extra day or two.**  
 ****Thank you, as always, for sticking with Dean and Piper. I worry sometimes that this fic isn't as exciting or interesting as some others, so for those of you that are still here, I am grateful from the bottom of my heart. I love you guys.**


	65. Imagine The Surprise

"Let me guess, another steamin' hot pile of swine flu."

"Yep," Dean said into the speakerphone on the cell phone that Sam was holding while Dean drove.

They had just interviewed a doctor about the fourth case of widespread swine flu they'd come across. Sam was in the passenger seat next to him, and Piper was in the backseat, her head resting on her hands on the back of the bench seat. Dean had almost made her sit next to him up front, but she had shot him a look and slid into the backseat without a word.

"Doesn't make any sense, Bobby," Sam said thoughtfully. "Pestilence touched down here. I'm sure of it."

Dean shook his head. "But why is he dealing them soft serve like swine flu when he's got the croatoan virus up his sleeve?"

"He's got to have something worse planned," Piper said softly. Dean nodded.

"Doesn't matter what the sick son of a bitch is doing," Bobby said over the phone. "What matters is this is the fourth town he's hit, that we _know_ of, and we're still eating his dust. Did you get anything? We got even a snowball at probable next target?"

"Uh, no pattern we can see," Sam said regretfully.

Bobby sighed. "Okay. Hold on." There was a beat of silence, then, "Well, far as I can tell, he's still heading East, so… Head East, I guess."

Piper smiled. "Bobby, we're in West Nevada. East is all there is."

"Yeah, well, you better get to drivin'."

"Say, I've got an idea," a very familiar English accent said from the backseat.

Dean jerked the wheel in surprise, and he heard Sam swear. Piper, however, was calm, and when he looked at her through the rearview, she was considering Crowley silently. Dean slammed on the brakes.

Sam had gotten the demon blade out, but stopped in his tracks when Piper held a hand up.

"Crowley," she said formally.

"Peach," he replied.

She rolled her eyes. "Ugh, ew. What do you want?"

The demon smiled. "Fancy a fag and a chat?"

"You want to _talk?"_ Sam asked incredulously. "After what you did to us?"

Crowley frowned. "After what I… What _I_ did to _you?_ I gave you the Colt!"

"Yeah, and you _knew_ it wouldn't work against the devil!"

That idea hadn't occurred to Dean, and it started anger burning in his chest, until Piper interrupted.

"Sam, that makes no sense," she snapped. "I mean, he's got to be persona non grata after trying to off Lucifer." She turned to him. "Am I right?" When Crowley stayed silent, she rolled her eyes again. _Gonna give herself a migraine if she keeps that up,_ Dean thought absently.

"All right then," she said evenly, "what do you want?"

"I can give you Pestilence."

Dean frowned. "What do you know about Pestilence?"

"I know how to get him." At Dean's eyebrow raise, "That's got your interest, doesn't it?

 **xxxxx**

"Why are we even listening to him, Dean? This is totally insane."

Piper sighed and listened to the brothers argue. She thought they were both pretty much correct. It was a terrible idea to trust Crowley, he was a _demon,_ but what choice did they have? Pestilence had had them chasing their tails for a week now, she had no idea how else to catch him.

"I don't disagree," Dean said easily.

Crowley smiled. "One big happy family, are we, then? Fantastic."

Dean turned to look at him. "You ready to go?"

Crowley smiled. "Yes, yes I am. Sam, keep the home fires burning."

Piper frowned as she stood up. "What?"

"Sam's not coming."

"And why the hell not?" Sam snapped, anger creating a dangerous air around him.

"Because I don't _like_ you, I don't _trust_ you, and, oh yes, _you keep trying to kill me!"_

Sam shook his head. "There's no fucking way. This isn't gonna happen!"

Piper sighed. "Sam," she said gently, "Come on. What if I stay here with you?"

"No, Pipes," Dean said firmly. "You're with me." He looked at Sam. "Sorry, brother. What can I say? I believe the guy."

 **xxxxx**

Piper looked through the binoculars at the pharmaceutical building Crowley had led them to. There were a couple of security guards milling around. "Demons?"

"Nah," Crowley said, "Human shields. The demons are up top. Twelfth floor."

Dean nodded. "All righty, then. We'll have to find a way in through the back."

Crowley sighed, and Piper looked over at him. "You Winchesters make everything so complicated." He winked at Piper. "Except you, of course, peach." He disappeared

"Oh, fuck," Dean said nervously.

Piper looked through the binoculars to see Crowley reappear behind the security guard in the building and slit his throat. "Dean! Fuck!"

She dropped the binoculars and got out of the Impala. Dean followed suit, apparently trusting her that there was trouble, and they ran to the building and started hitting the doors. "Crowley!" Piper shouted.

He opened the door. "It's open." In response to Piper's baleful glare, _"What?"_

"You killed them!"

Crowley shrugged. "We're on a tight schedule." She continued to glare at him. "Come on, _now_ you're squeamish? Please."

She frowned, but followed him into the building, shary wary glances with Dean. He reached out and grasped her hand, and even though they were working with a _demon_ to get another _demon_ to help them get a _Horseman of the apocalypse,_ she felt safer.

When they got to the elevator, Dean stepped inside, but Crowley grabbed Piper's other arm and pulled her back. "Go get 'em, tiger," Crowley said cheerfully.

Piper pulled her arm from his grasp. "Excuse me?"

"Oh, just he's going, peach," the demon said, as if it was obvious.

"What? Why?"

Crowley raised his eyebrows. "It's not safe up there. There's demons. Gotta protect the missus."

Piper growled, irritated. "Why can't we go _with_ him?"

Crowley shook his head. "Look, Dean, just do what I told you, and try to be convincing. It'll work like a charm. Trust me."

Dean sighed and looked at Piper. He took a step forward, wrapped a hand around the back of her head, and pulled her in to kiss her hard. She sighed into him and kissed him back, worried and angry and loving him.

He pulled away and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Stay here, kitten, I'll be back."

She watched him go back into the elevator and hit the button, then kept eye contact until the doors closed on him.

As soon as he was out of sight, she whirled to Crowley. "Why can't we go with him?"

He smiled. "Because Dean is the only one who can convince him."

She stared at the demon for a few moments, and when the faint crashes started from the upper floors, a lightbulb went off. "Bait," she said softly, "You're using him as bait."

Crowley's eyebrows went up. "Now, peach, you wound me. Does that even sound like me?"

Before she could reply by telling him just _how_ wounded he was about to be, he grabbed her arm and pulled her behind him, taking several steps back. "What the fuck?"

"Hush," he said softly, pulling what looked like a canvas bag out of his pocket.

The elevator dinged, and Dean ran out. Piper's heart froze at the blood running down his face. His head swivelled, but before he could make eye contact with her, a man came from the same elevator and hit him over the head.

"Dean!" Piper cried, stepping around Crowley.

Before she could get any further, Crowley ran forward and dropped the sack over the man's head. Piper saw the devil's trap drawn onto the canvas, and surmised that this was the demon they'd come for.

She ran to Dean and crouched next to him, her hand fluttering on his face. "Hey, you," she said gently.

He smiled. "Hey, kitten." Then he frowned and looked at Crowley as he stood. "What the fuck was that?"

Crowley looked smug. "That was perfect."

" _Perfect?"_ Dean asked incredulously as Piper came to stand next to him, wrapping her arm around his waist. "He didn't want the _rings._ He wanted _me."_

Crowley's eyebrows went up in a smug gesture that Piper truly despised. "Imagine the surprise on your face."

"Excuse me?" Piper snarled.

"Your ignorance and misinformation, I mean, completely authentic! You can't fake that. What? I-It went like clockwork."

"Not for me, you son of a bitch!"

"Well, that's what you get for working with a demon."

 **xxxxx**

Piper held her tongue serenely until they got back to the ramshackle little house Crowley had brought them to. It was where he claimed he had been staying, and while Piper agreed it was terrible, she was of the opinion that it was _exactly_ what the rat bastard deserved.

While Dean quietly took the demon into the house, hoping to avoid Sam as much as possible, Piper gently slipped the demon-killing knife out of his belt and tucked it into her coat. It would be better if he and Sam didn't have it, anyway, if Crowley was telling the truth about Sam's history with Brady.

As soon as Dean was out of sight, and it was just her and Crowley, she grabbed the demon by the lapels and slammed him against the side of the house, growling.

" _Armani,_ dear, easy on the suit," he snapped.

She pulled the knife out and held it idly, but let him see it. She saw his eyes widen fractionally, and was fiercely glad.

"Let me make something _very_ clear to you, Crowley," she said softly. "I don't give a fuck _what_ you're helping us with, I don't give a fuck _who_ you know, and I don't give a fuck _how_ useful you can be. You ever put my husband in danger like that again, I will take a personal pleasure in ripping you apart, eyeballs to entrails. Are we clear?"

She let the truth of what she said shine in her eyes. She was willing to accept angels as her friends, some of them were on the right side of things. But demons weren't an option. _Ever._

He examined her for a moment, then, "Crystal, darling, crystal."

 **xxxxx**

Piper sat on Dean's lap in an armchair in the little living room of the house. His big arm was wrapped around her back, the other hand holding a beer balanced on her knee. He looked pensive and upset, so she put her arm around him and ran her fingernails lightly along the back of his head, hoping to give him some comfort. By the way his eyes closed and his breathing became slow and even, it was working.

Sam had _lost_ it when he had seen Brady. Piper had tried to stop him, but it had taken Dean shoving him out of the room to get the younger Winchester to chill.

He was out "taking a walk" when Crowley came back into the room.

Dean opened his eyes, but didn't make a move to stop her gentle ministrations, so she didn't. "Well, how'd it go?" he asked the demon. "He buy your girl scout cookies?"

"Not yet," Crowley said with a bitter smile. "Get bent."

Piper's eyebrows rose. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Well, he won't budge, so now I go stick my neck out."

Dean frowned. "What are you gonna do?"

"Exactly the kind of desperate swashbuckle I've been trying to avoid. Now, I go kick open a hive of demons." Crowley turned away, then turned back. "This whole bloody ring business better work." Then he disappeared.

Piper sighed and stood, pulling Dean with her. "Come on, handsome," she said softly, leading the way into the bathroom at the top of the stairs.

Once there, she wet a washcloth and turned to wipe his face with it, washing away the last remnants of blood at his temples. He closed his eyes again and leaned into her touch.

"Beaches and little umbrellas?" she asked softly.

His ridiculously green eyes opened and stared at her. The corner of his mouth twitched up into an almost smile. "Beaches and little umbrellas, kitten. Whatever you want."

She smiled and stepped closer to kiss him. As she did, the door behind him slammed closed.

Dean whirled and pushed her behind him, then stepped up to try to open the door. It didn't budge, so he started banging on it. "Come on, Sam! Don't do this! Sam, come on! Hey! Open the door! Open the door!"

Piper sighed and put a hand on his back. "Dean," she said softly, "Come on, you're going to break the door down."

He stepped back, pushing her back with him. "Good," he snarled, lifting his foot and kicking hard at the door. The door itself shook, and the doorframe rattled, but it stayed shut. "Fuck!" he shouted.

She put her hand on his back again. "Dean, chill, you freaking out isn't going to help."

He nodded and ran his hands through his hair. "He's going to kill that kid," he said roughly, "and there goes our chance."

She frowned and stepped closer to him, resting her hands on his hips and tugging him toward her. "Dean, look at me, baby," she said softly, smiling a little when he obeyed immediately. "Dean, this is _not_ the only chance. Listen, I trust Sam, I do." She took a deep breath, and wondered when she'd stop being nervous when she declared her love for him. "But I _believe_ in _you._ You will find a way to stop this, okay? Is this the most readily available chance? Yes. Is it our only chance? Not on your life, Winchester."

He stared at her for a moment, his arms coming down to wrap around her. She wrapped her arms around him in kind and rested her cheek on his chest, savoring the feel of him around her.

"What would I do without you, kitten?" he asked huskily.

"You'll never find out," she said immediately, without opening her eyes.

 **xxxxx**

Piper watched Brady hand Crowley a piece of paper. "Yeah. I'm sure Pestilence will be there. Thanks."

Dean looked at Crowley. "What do you think?"

The demon nodded. "It's good." He looked back at Brady. "You've got no reason to lie, have you? Like I said before, you're in my boat now."

Brady scowled. "You've screwed me. For eternity."

Crowley shrugged. "Nah, won't last that long. Trust me."

Dean turned and came back toward her, Crowley turning to follow. Brady stared after them. "Where are you going?"

Piper bent and started pouring a salt line across the mouth of the alley, behind where Sam was standing.

"I'm doing you a favor," Crowley said. He turned to Sam. "I expect we'll be in touch."

Piper stood in front of Crowley, staring him down for a moment, then moved aside to let him by. _Mistake,_ her mind told her, _should have killed him._ But the boys had given their word, and she didn't want to be the reason they went back on their word.

"What is this?" Brady ask, nervousness tinting his tone. The predator in Piper celebrated, wanting him to be nervous as her husband circled him.

"All those angels," Dean said, his voice low and dangerous, "all those demons, all those sons of bitches. They just don't get it, do they, Sammy?"

"No, they don't, Dean."

"You see, Brady," Dean continued, tilting his head in that cocky way that made Piper's heart beat faster, "We're the ones you should be afraid of."

Piper distantly heard Brady speaking, but she was too wrapped up in the way Dean moved. His bowed legs carrying him with grace, the muscles in his shoulders rolling, that picture perfect face like it had been carved from granite. Her husband was a warrior, he exuded strength, and it was making Piper squirm a little, wishing they'd get it over with so she could take him home and fuck his brains out.

She was shaken from her thoughts by the lights flashing in Brady's body. She met Dean's eyes, smiling a little when she saw the smug heat there. He had caught her checking him out. She bit her lip, watching his eyes get hotter as he approached her.

He slung an arm around her waist and kissed her hard, bending her backward a little and making her head spin. She was moving so she could wrap her arms around his neck when she felt something thump against her back.

She turned and smiled sheepishly at Sam, who was smirking at the two of them. She bent to pick up the wad of cash he'd thrown at her.

"Go get a room, guys," Sam said with a smile. "Be gross indoors."

Before Dean could respond, Piper grinned. "Done."

 **xxxxx**

Later, exhausted and sweaty, Dean held Piper as she drifted off to sleep. He didn't know what the hell had gotten into her, but he liked it.

As they lay there, he thought about the moment in the bathroom with her, her soft hands on his hips, her gentle voice telling him that she had faith in him. He had looked down into her hazel eyes and seen a belief and love so strong it had shaken him to his core. Again. For the several hundredth time.

 _Piper._

She amazed him still, constantly. He honestly didn't know how he would be upright and walking around if it wasn't for her. He got out of bed every morning purely so he could get breakfast for her.

He hoped she would be all right when he died stopping Lucifer and Michael.

 _I'm sorry, kitten. I love you._

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi everyone! Here's my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**

 **Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**

 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**

 ****I am so sorry this update took so long. It has been a really rough week for me, anxiety/depression- AND just regular life-wise. I will try to make sure we never go this long between updates again, at least not without some warning, lol.**


	66. There Are Conditions

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Piper rolled her eyes as Sam winced. "Dean-"

"No," Dean snapped. "Don't 'Dean' me. I mean, you… You have had some _stupid_ ideas in the past, but this." He turned to Piper. "Did you know about this?"

She glared at him. "Fuck you, Dean, you know I would have told you."

He had the good sense to look a little ashamed. "You're right, kitten. Sorry."

She hmphed. "Dean, let's table this discussion for now, please? We have two other horsemen to catch, we can argue about this later."

Unfortunately, Bobby chose that moment to walk in. Dean moved his glare to him. "Did _you_ know about this?"

Bobby frowned. "About what?"

"About Sam's genius plan to cram the devil down his throat."

Bobby nodded, and Piper frowned. _"Bobby."_

"Thanks for the heads up!" Dean snapped.

Bobby shrugged. "Hey, this ain't about me."

Dean turned back to Sam. "You can't do this."

Sam sighed. "That's the consensus."

Dean nodded sharply. "All right. Awesome. Then, end of discussion." His phone rang, and he pulled it out of his pocket and pointed to Sam. "This ain't over." He flipped it open. "Hello?"

Sam sighed **and** ran a hand through his hair, then looked at Piper, who smiled gently. "Sorry if I upset you, Pipe," he said softly.

She took a deep breath and stood to walk over to him. "It's okay, Sam," she said softly. "Just… Just… Let's not give into the Winchester need to sacrifice ourselves until we know for sure it's our only plan, okay?"

He smiled and wrapped his arms around her to hug her tight. She wound her arms around his neck and hung on, breathing in his scent, absorbing the essence of Sam. Something told her she wouldn't have that chance forever.

"Okay, Pipe."

 **xxxxx**

Piper waited in the car, glaring after Dean, who had told her to stay put as they walked into the nursing home they suspected Pestilence was in. _Idiot._

They had argued on the way here in sharp whispers, while Sam was in the backseat.

 _"I want you to stay behind."_

 _"No."_

 _"God dammit, woman, I don't want you walking in there with us."_

 _"No."_

 _"Piper, please," he suddenly switched to begging, making her heart break, "Kitten, I just need to know you're safe. Please. Please?"_

She had agreed, because he'd turned his own version of puppy dog eyes on her, and they always killed her. She hoped he wasn't catching on to that, because she didn't know if she would ever have it in her to resist them.

So now she waited, getting more nervous for every moment that they didn't walk out.

She was distracted by a bus pulling up. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a thin, pale man with a mop of dark hair get off. She did a double take, then was opening the car door and running toward him. "Cass!"

He turned and blinked, then caught her as she tossed herself at him. Remembering what Dean had said about him being human now, she pulled back a little, just landing lightly against him and wrapping her arms around him.

She buried her face in his warm neck, reflecting for a moment how _weird_ it was that Cass was warm now. "Oh, God, Castiel, I'm so fucking glad you're alive."

He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight. "I find myself being rather relieved, as well."

She leaned back and smiled. "How are you feeling? Dean says you're down here, slumming it with the rest of us humans now."

Cass nodded. "It's… Overwhelming, how many things you humans feel."

She grinned. "You get used to it."

He surveyed the area around them. "Where are Sam and Dean?"

She pointed. "In there. They're going after Pestilence." She felt the smile start to fade off of her face. "They… Should really be back by now."

Without having to speak, they each started to run toward the building.

 **xxxxx**

"Well, it's nice to actually score a homerun for once, ain't it?" Bobby looker around at their blank faces. "What?"

Piper sighed as Sam spoke. "Last thing Pestilence said. 'It's too late.'"

Bobby frowned. "He get specific?"

"No."

Piper and Cass had run in on Sam and Dean on the floor, with Pestilence gloating over them. Cass had taken care of the Horseman, and they were now three for four on the rings needed to shut Lucifer's cage.

"We're just a little freaked out that he might have left a bomb somewhere," Dean said testily. "So please tell us you have actual good news."

Piper stood and went to him, wrapping an arm around his waist. He maneuvered them so she was standing in front of him, his arms wrapped around her, pulling her to him tight. She went willingly, leaning against him.

Since Sam had revealed his plan, Dean had been back to being borderline desperate to be touching Piper. She again let it happen without a word. Dean being okay was her top priority, and if this is what he needed, she would give it gladly.

Bobby was shrugging as she settled her back against Dean's chest. "Chicago's about to be wiped off the map. Storm of the millennium. Sets off a daisy chain of natural disasters. Three million people are gonna die."

Piper blinked, shock rolling through her. "What?"

Cass frowned. "I don't understand your definition of 'good news.'"

Bobby shrugged again. "Well… Death, the Horseman… He's gonna be there. And if we can stop him before he kick starts the storm, get his ring back-"

Dean snorted from behind her. "You make it sound so easy."

"Hell, I'm just trying to put a spin on it," Bobby snapped.

Sam frowned. "Well, I mean, Bobby, how'd you put all this together, anyway?"

"I had, you know… Help."

"Don't be so modest," a familiar, cool English accent said behind them. Piper whirled in tandem with Dean to see Crowley standing in the doorway. "I barely helped at all. Hello, boys, peach. Pleasure, et cetera." He waved a hand at Bobby. "Go ahead. Tell them. There's no shame in it."

Dread starting to pool in her stomach, Piper turned to look at Bobby. "Tell us what, Bobby?"

Bobby tried to look casual, but he wouldn't meet Piper's gaze, which had her narrowing her eyes.

"World's gonna end," he said gruffly. "Seems stupid to get all precious over one little… Soul."

"You… _Sold_ your _soul?"_ Piper snarled. Only Dean's arms tightening around her middle kept her from moving.

Crowley smirked. "Oh, more like pawned it. I fully intend to give it back."

"Well, then, give it back!" Dean exclaimed. Piper nodded vigorously.

Crowley nodded. "I will."

 _"Now,_ Crowley," Piper snarled, starting to fight against her husband's arms. Dean tightened them again, and it was like pulling against cast iron.

"Did you kiss him?" Sam asked.

Dean turned. "Sam!"

Sam shrugged. "Just wondering."

"No!" Bobby shouted, indignant.

Crowley held up a cell phone, which featured a picture of he and Bobby kissing. Piper blinked, momentarily shocked out of her anger.

"Why'd you take a picture?" Bobby grumbled.

Crowley arched an eyebrow. "Why'd you use tongue?"

Piper wrinkled her nose as Dean spoke. "All right, you know what? I'm sick of this. Give him back his soul now."

The demon shook his head. "I'm sorry, I can't."

Piper was back to basically growling. _"Can't_ or _won't?"_

"I won't, all right?!" he shouted. "It's insurance."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Dean said from behind her. Piper heard the frown in his voice.

"You kill demons." Crowley pointed to Sam. "Gigantor over there has a temper issue about it. But you won't kill _me…_ As long as I have that soul in the deposit box."

Bobby looked a little dazed. "You son of a bitch."

Crowley smiled. "I'll return it. After all this is over, and I can walk safely away. Do we all understand each other?"

 **xxxxx**

Dean walked outside to clear his head, anger making it hard to think. Piper's hand in his made it easier.

He walked until they were at Baby, where he turned and leaned against the car. Piper leaned against him in turn, her head tucked under his chin, his arms wrapping around her automatically. He sighed and closed his eyes.

"Well… Fuck." she said softly, nestling into him.

He huffed out a laugh. "Yeah."

"We'll figure it out, Dean. We always do."

Before he could respond, Dean sensed Sam's presence. Without opening his eyes, "Let me guess. We're about to have a 'talk.'"

Sam sighed, and Dean grumbled when Piper stepped away from him. She smiled and pressed a kiss to Dean's cheek, which he leaned into. "I'll be inside, berating Bobby," she said softly, then turned to kiss Sam's cheek, as well. "Be nice to each other."

Dean watched her walk up to the house, appreciating the view absent-mindedly, but appreciating more everything else that made his wife the best thing that had ever happened to him.

"Look, Dean, um…" Sam started, and Dean suppressed a sigh and looked at his brother. "for the record… I agree with you." Dean frowned, but Sam kept going. "About me. You think I'm too weak to take on Lucifer. Well, so do I. Believe me. I know exactly how screwed up I am. You, Bobby, Cass… Piper… I'm the least of any of you."

"Oh, Sam, come on-" Dean started. That wasn't a fair comparison. Piper was better than each of the named men put together, Sam couldn't hold himself to that standard, no one could.

"No, it's true," Sam interrupted. "But… I'm also all we got. If there was another way…" He shook his head. "But I don't think there is. There's just me. So I don't know what else to do. Except just try t-to do what's got to be done."

Dean winced. _God dammit._ He was struggling with this, he hated it, he couldn't let it happen. He was the one who was supposed to do this. He was the one who was going to die to save the world, so that Sam and Bobby and Piper could move on and live happy lives without him. He couldn't let Sam do this, even the thought was tearing him up on the inside.

"And… _Scene."_

That smarmy English voice set Dean on edge, and he turned to Crowley, an exorcism on the tip of his tongue.

Before he could, Crowley was pushing a newspaper into Sam's hands. "There's something you need to see."

 **xxxxx**

Piper was giving Castiel a quick review on how to shoot a shotgun, and the boys were splitting up.

She was nervous. _How do you kill Death?_ If she was going to be honest with herself, she was petrified. But she put on a brave face, because that's what Dean had done. And this was their only choice. So it had to be done… One way or another.

"All right, well… Good luck stopping the whole zombie apocalypse."

She smiled and, done with her brief lesson, turned to see Sam chuckle. "Yeah. Good luck with killing Death."

Dean held an arm out without looking at her, and Piper slid beneath it, feeling it wrap around her shoulders and pull her close. Inexplicably, she felt braver. When she and Dean were together, they could do anything.

"Remember when we used to just… Hunt wendigos? How simple things were?" Sam asked.

Dean thought for a moment, then, "No, not really."

Piper smiled up at him while Sam pulled out the demon knife. "You guys, um, might need this."

"Keep it," Crowley said from next to Piper where he had appeared. She jumped a little, then smothered her growl. _Jackass._

"Dean and the peach are covered." He handed Dean a small scythe. "Death's own. Kills, golly, demons and angels and reapers and, rumor has it… The very thing itself."

Castiel was frowning. "Where did you get that?"

Crowley gave a sarcastic wave of his hand. "Hello. King of the crossroads." He turned to look at Piper and Dean. "So, shall we?"

He then gave Bobby a sly look. "Bobby, you just going to sit there?"

Bobby scowled. "No. I'm gonna riverdance."

Crowley smiled. "I suppose, if you want to impress the ladies." Piper frowned as the demon shook his head sadly. "Bobby, Bobby, bobby. Really wasted that crossroads deal. Fact, you get more if you phrase it properly. So, I took the liberty of adding a teeny little sub-A clause on your behalf." At the bewildered looks he received, he shrugged. "What can I say? I'm an altruist." He looked at bobby again. "Just going to sit there?"

Slowly, with wide eyes, Bobby got out of the wheelchair and stood.

Piper was stunned, and tears spilled down her cheeks as she put a hand to her mouth. "Oh, my God," she whispered, shaken. Dean tugged her close, his stiff posture telling her that he wasn't unaffected by the scene in front of them.

"Son of a bitch," Bobby said in wonder.

Crowley smiled tightly. "Yes, I know. Completely worth your soul. I'm a hell of a guy."

Bobby stared at the demon for a moment. "Thanks."

Crowley rolled his eyes. "This is getting maudlin. Can we go?"

 **xxxxx**

Piper sat next to Dean in the Impala, listening to him panic while she tried to think of a solution.

"So, what? Call in a bomb threat? A thousand bomb threats? _Fuck._ I mean, how the _fuck_ are we supposed to get three million people out of Chicago in the next ten minutes?"

She placed a calming hand on his thigh. "Come on, baby, think. We can do this. We just can't freak out."

"How the hell am I supposed to not freak out?!"

She didn't get upset at his yelling, mostly because she thought the same. _How the fuck are we supposed to do this?_

Before she could think of an answer, she looked up through the windshield. Standing there, outside a pizzeria, was Crowley. He was gesturing wildly.

She frowned. "What?"

He gestured more.

"We can't hear you, dumbass," Dean snapped.

Crowley appeared in the backseat. "I said, I found him. Death. He's in there."

Dean nodded. "Okay, you coming, or…" When they looked, he was gone. "Not."

Before he could get out of the car, Piper put a hand on his arm. "Dean, let me talk to Death."

He frowned and turned back to her. "What?"

She nodded, keeping his gaze. "Dean, let me do this. Let me talk to him."

"Talk to him? Kitten, we're here to kill him."

Piper shook her head. "Dean, I don't know about that. I mean… This isn't like the other horsemen. I mean, it's _Death._ Like, capital 'D,' holy shit, touch you and you're dead _Death._ I think we're better going in talking than shooting."

 **xxxxx**

 _Goddamn woman and those goddamn hazel eyes._

Dean watched Piper approach the pizzeria, panic clawing at his gut. _Shouldn't have let her go in. What happened to sticking together until the end of the apocalypse? God dammit, Winchester, stop fucking up._

It occurred to Dean that, for someone who had decided to be the dead one in the three of them, he was sitting on the sidelines a lot lately.

 **xxxxx**

Piper entered the pizzeria cautiously, nerves making her a little nauseous. But she knew she was right. She had no desire to kill Death, Death was the natural order of things, Death shouldn't die.

Maybe Death would be reasonable.

She held the scythe in her hand, but held it blade down, not in a way that could be interpreted as a threat. She hoped.

Despite her efforts, as soon as she was in the building, the handle of the scythe started to heat up. She held on as long as she could until she dropped it, hissing at the burn on her hand. When she looked up, it was sitting on the table that the only other person in the building was sitting at.

From where she could see, he was tall and thin. Dark hair was slicked back, and he wore what was actually a lovely coat. _You know, for Death._

"Thanks for returning that to me," he said in a dry voice. "Join me, Piper. The pizza's delicious."

She cautiously stepped forward, scared, but unwilling to defy his orders. She slid into the chair across the table, eyes wide, and took him in.

He had very avian features, a strong nose and wide eyes. He was very striking. Not handsome, per se, but not a man easily forgotten.

"I've been wanting to talk to you."

She blinked. "I… Have mixed feelings about that."

He nodded. "Understandable. But I have no desire to kill you, Piper Winchester. It's not worth my time or effort, quite frankly."

Piper nodded, relieved. "Um, okay. What, uh, what do you want to talk to us about?"

He shook his head, cutting another piece of pizza off as he did so. "No, Mrs. Winchester, not 'us.' _You._ I wanted to talk to you."

Piper gave a weak smile. "More mixed feelings about that, honestly." she took a deep breathe. "My husband would say that this is above my paygrade."

"Your husband would be correct. But you are… Interesting, Mrs. Winchester. I was hoping you'd be the one who came in."

Piper's nerves couldn't take much more of this. "So, um… How can I help you?"

He gave her a dry, tight smile. "I doubt you can, dear girl. I want the leash around my neck off." His words grew bitter. "Lucifer has me bound to him. Some… _Unseemly_ little spell. He has me where he wants, when he wants. That's why I couldn't go to you. I had to wait for you to catch up. He made me his weapon. Hurricanes, floods, raising the dead. I'm more powerful than you can process, and I'm enslaved to a bratty child with a temper tantrum."

His last words rang true in Piper's heart, and she found herself nodding along. "That's disgusting."

He put his silverware down and examined her closely. Worried that she had offended him, she quickly spoke again. "Do you think… I mean, what can I do about this?"

He looked at her for another few long moments, then slipped his ring off of his finger. "I understand you want this."

She nodded.

"I am inclined to give it to you."

Her eyebrows rose. _"Give_ it to me?"

"That's what I said. There are conditions."

"Such as?"

"Whatever it takes. Your brother-in-law. He's the one who can stop Lucifer. The _only_ one. So I need a promise from you. You're going to let your brother jump right into that fiery pit." He looked at her for another minute. "Well? Do I have your word?"

Piper could barely think around the panic and grief and sadness welling up in her. Give up Sam? Her Sammy, who watched nerdy movies with her and made fun of her and tickled her during sparring? She was supposed to just… Give him up?

In that moment, with that thought, Piper realized something.

Sam wasn't hers to give up.

If Sam wanted to do this, if he was willing to do this, she couldn't stop him, nor should she try. Sam was an adult, a fine man who she was proud to call her family, and if he wanted to do this, she had to accept his decision.

And if this would get them there, then so be it.

"Yes," she said, her voice cracking. She cleared her throat a little, then, "Yes, I'll do it. I'll make sure Sam jumps into the pit."

Death nodded and handed her the ring. She took it, then paused. "What about…" she waved a hand to the door.

"Chicago?" He seemed to consider. "I suppose it can stay. I like the pizza."

 **xxxxx**

That night, Piper lay in Dean's arms, worrying. They were both fully clothed, just holding each other, lost in their thoughts.

"Dean," she said softly, looking up at him.

He turned and moved them around until they were lying on their sides, facing one another. "Yeah, kitten?"

She took a deep breath. "Dean, about this Sam thing."

His face hardened. "Piper, I don't want to talk about it."

"Tough," she said gently. At his surprised look, "Dean, we're running out of options, and we're running out of time. We've avoided this conversation for long enough."

He shook his head. "Well, it's not happening."

"Dean," she said severely. "I don't…" She swallowed back her emotions. Crying wouldn't help now. "Dean, baby, I don't think we have a choice."

He closed his eyes. "Pipes, I-"

She put a hand on his face, stopping his words. "Dean… Dean, Sam has become a _good_ man. I mean, how long has he been saving people right alongside us? How many times has he saved our asses? I'm not saying he's perfect, but he's… He's a good man. He can do this."

He opened his eyes and stared at her for a long time, then, brokenly, "Pipes, I can't let him go like this. It was supposed to be me."

She ignored that, because her husband had a martyr complex, and she had already known that he was planning on it being him dying. She wasn't _stupid._ "Dean, it's not about letting him do anything. It's about… It's about maybe loving him _too_ much. It's about him being an adult, and if he thinks he can do this, we need to stand behind him and believe in him, too."

Almost before she got the last word out, Dean was crashing his lips to hers. She sighed and kissed him back, worried he was going to ignore the situation in front of them. He kissed his way down to her neck, and she tilted for him, because she would _always_ tilt for Dean.

But his lips paused where her shoulder met her neck, and he just kept his face pressed there, his strong arms holding her tight against him. She wrapped her own arms around him, running one hand through his short hair and the other up and down the broad expanse of his back. She wasn't surprised when she felt the wetness on her skin, just held him, murmured soothing nonsense, and stopped occasionally to wipe at her own eyes.

They lay that way for a long, long time, until they drifted off to sleep, comforting one another.

 **xxxxx**

Hi everyone! Here's my notes:  
I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)  
Reviews, comments, and kudos give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.  
If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.


	67. Did You Think I Was Joking?

The next morning, Piper sat with Dean, holding his hand beneath the kitchen table. His calloused hand was like a vise grip on hers, and she ran her thumb along his knuckles, trying to be comforting. He was looking at Sam, who was sitting on the hood of the Impala. It would normally bother him, she knew, but Dean had bigger things on his mind.

Apocalypse-ending things.

"Dean, go," she said softly, pushing on his arm gently with her free hand. "Go on, you can do this."

He ran his own free hand down his face. "I don't know if I can, kitten. It's _Sammy,_ Pipes, how can I-"

"Because he has that streak of Winchester stubbornness that makes you both so lovable," she said softly, smiling sadly. "Dean, he's going to do it whether you give him your blessing or not. So go now, while you have a chance, and then let's get to work."

 **xxxxx**

Dean drove on the road to Detroit, dread and guilt and grief swirling in his stomach.

As was habit, he sought out his touchstone. She was currently leaned against Castiel in the back, his arm slung around her shoulders, both of them deeply asleep.

Dean smirked. "Aw, they're like little angels."

Sam scoffed. "Angels don't sleep."

Dean fought it for a moment, then, "Sam, I got a bad feeling about this."

"Well, you'd be nuts to have a good feeling about it."

Dean rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean. _Detroit._ He always said he'd jump your bones in Detroit." He waved an agitated hand. "Here we are."

Sam nodded. "Here we are."

"Maybe this is him rolling out the red carpet, you know? Maybe he knows something that we don't."

Sam sighed. "Dean, I'm sure he knows a fuckload we don't. We just got to hope he doesn't know about the rings." Sam shifted uncomfortably. "Hey, um... On the subject, there's something I got to talk to you about."

Dean glanced at him briefly. "What?"

Sam looked over at him. "This thing goes our way and I… Triple Lindy into that box… You know I'm not coming back."

Dean nodded, more dread building in him. "Yeah, I'm aware." His eyes flicked to Piper, and the sight of her sleeping calmed something in him, just enough to keep having this stupid conversation.

"So you gotta promise me something."

 _Give the kid something._ "Okay. Yeah, anything."

"You gotta promise not to try to bring me back."

Shocked, Dean stared at his brother. "What? No, I didn't sign up for that."

Sam groaned. "Dean-"

"Your hell is gonna make my tour look like Graceland," Dean snapped. "You want me and Piper just to sit by and do _nothing?"_

Sam shook his head. "Once the cage is shut, you can't go poking at it, Dean. It's too risky."

Panic joined the terrible emotions in Dean. _I can't do this, sorry, Pipes._ "No, no, no, no, no. As if I'm just gonna let you rot in there," he scoffed.

Sam nodded his head stubbornly. "Yeah, you are. You don't have a choice."

Dean struggled against the tears fighting to get to his eyes. "You can't ask me to do this."

"I'm sorry, Dean. You have to."

Dean ran a hand through his hair, nearing the end of his rope. "So then what am I supposed to do?"

"You take Piper somewhere nice, you pray to _God_ she's dumb enough to stick with you, and you… You have barbecues and go to football games."

Shocked, Dean turned to Sam. _"What?"_

"You and Piper have given enough, Dean," Sam said earnestly. "I mean, you guys just got married, and for your honeymoon, you went to try to kill _Lucifer."_ Sam sighed. "Dean, you and Piper should go… Be happy. Leave hunting, Dean, go with Piper and live a normal, apple-pie life. Go… Go have a bunch of kids, drink beer with other husbands, drive Piper crazy. Go be normal, Dean. _Promise me."_

 **xxxxx**

 _I'm going to vomit. Oh, God, don't vomit on Sam the last time you see him. Oh, fuck, don't vomit, please don't vomit, don't vomit._

Bobby put the binoculars down. They were standing around the Impala, and Piper kept her face still, but couldn't help wrapping her arms around her middle.

"Demons," Bobby said gruffly. "At least two dozen of them. You were right, something's up."

Dean sighed. "More than something. He's here. I know it."

Sam turned to Piper, and she felt tears gather in her eyes. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her face into his warm skin. "I love you, Sam, it's gonna be okay."

He crushed her to him for a moment, then pressed his lips to her forehead. "Love you, too, Pipe. I know." He leaned back to look down at her. "Make Dean keep his promise, okay?"

Before she could ask for clarification, he stepped away from her and approached Bobby. She sniffled hard, trying to control herself.

Dean walked over to Piper and led her away to the back of the car. She stood straight, refusing to lean on him. He needed her to be strong, he didn't need her being all weepy.

He wrapped his arms around her and pressed her to him. He placed a hand on the back of her head and pressed her face into his chest. "How you holdin' up, kitten?"

 _Can't keep secrets from him,_ she thought wryly. "Let me ask you that, instead, handsome." She tilted her head up to look at him. "How are _you_ holding up?"

He scoffed. "Let's just get this over with."

"Oh, I was supposed to lie." Piper turned to see Castiel looking at Sam, a guilty look on his face. "Uh… Sure. They'll be fine."

Sam smiled tightly. "Just… Just stop… Talking."

Sam clapped Castiel on the shoulder, then walked around to the trunk of the Impala. Piper sighed and turned back to press her face into Dean's chest. The jugs of demon blood were in the trunk, and she didn't think she could watch.

"You mind not watching this?"

Dean turned and took her with him, walking them back slowly to the front of the car. He pressed his face into her hair, and she wrapped her arms around his waist and held him close, trying to keep the sounds that Sam was making out of her ears.

When Sam cleared his throat, Piper lifted her head and looked up at him while he wiped his mouth. She was grateful, she wasn't sure she could handle seeing her best friend with blood on his mouth. _Again._

"Okay," Sam said. "Let's go."

Dean tensed, and Piper wailed in sorrow in her heart. _Oh, Dean._

She felt him look up and nod. "Bobby, Cass."

She felt strong hands on her, and before she realized what was happening, Cass was holding one arm, and Bobby was holding the other.

"What?" At Dean's guilty, sad look, she started fighting and kicking as he took a step away from her. "Dean! _God dammit, Dean Winchester, don't you dare leave me here!"_

He stepped forward and wrapped a hand around the back of her head and pressed his lips to hers hard. "I'm sorry, baby," he whispered, "I can't do this with you there. I'm so sorry."

She continued to struggle as he and Sam walked away. "Let me go! No! _God dammit, Winchesters, don't you walk away from me!"_

They did, and she fought like hell, screaming incoherently.

How _dare_ he try to keep her from this? From this, the most important moment, and he was _keeping her from it!_

"If you two don't let me go, there are going to be some broken arms, gentlemen. Up to you how many," she snarled.

"Quit, Pi," Bobby snapped. "This is between the two of them. Just… Just stop, baby, just stop."

And just like that, with her surrogate father's words ringing in her head, the fight went out of Piper.

Dean was keeping her from this to protect her. _Always_ to protect her, he was always putting himself in the line of fire to keep her safe. Her husband would die to shield her.

When the windows of the building the Winchesters had gone into lit up, she whimpered and bit her lip, sagging between the men holding her up. "Oh, God," she whispered, fear and dread swirling in her soul.

The ground shook beneath them, and she fell to her knees when their grips loosened. She put her hands over her face and tried hard to keep her crying quiet.

 _Oh, Sammy._

 **xxxxx**

Sam was gone. Lucifer had won.

Piper was in shock as she and Dean walked hand in hand down the street next to Bobby. They passed a display full of televisions, and when she looked, they were reporting on the number of natural disasters that had occurred in the last twenty minutes.

 _Twenty minutes._

Twenty minutes since her best friend, her brother-in-law, had stood toe-to-toe to the devil and had hit the mat first. Twenty minutes since a huge chunk of her life had been ripped away.

"It's starting," Castiel said ominously behind him.

"Yeah, you think, genius?" Dean snapped. Piper let him. He was angry, she understood. If she wasn't so numb and sad, she would be angry, too.

Castiel, however, frowned. "You don't have to be mean."

Dean ran a hand through his hair. "So what do we do now?"

Cass shrugged. "I suggest we imbibe copious quantities of alcohol... Just wait for the inevitable blast wave."

Piper winced. "Oh, God."

Dean, predictably, was angry. "Yeah, swell. Thank you, Bukowski. I, I mean, how do we _stop_ it?"

Castiel looked puzzled. "We don't. Lucifer will meet Michael on the chosen field, and the battle of Armageddon begins."

"Okay, well, where's this 'chosen field?'"

Castiel shrugged. "I don't know."

"You listen to me, you junkless sissy-" Dean began, starting to advance on the former angel.

"Dean," Piper said softly, her hand on his chest. "Stop it. Come on."

She tugged at his hand and looked at Bobby and Castiel. "You guys can stay here, if you want. We're going to find Sam."

Bobby frowned. "How?"

"I know who to call."

 **xxxxx**

They went back at Bobby's after speaking with Chuck. Dean was getting ready, and Piper was watching him pack things they'd never need, things they wouldn't be able to use, things they were going to die with.

"You goin' someplace?" Bobby asked from behind her. "You're goin' to do somethin' stupid. You got that look."

She didn't turn around. "We're going to find Sam, Bobby."

He sighed. "You two just don't give up."

Dean turned around, glaring. "It's _Sam!"_

Cass frowned. "If you couldn't reach him here, you're certainly not gonna be able to on the battlefield."

Dean gave a sardonic smile. "Well, I guess that I'm just that stupid, then."

Castiel turned to Piper, trying to appeal to her, instead. "I just want you to understand. The only thing that you're gonna see out there is Michael killing your brother."

She smiled softly. "Well, we can't let him die alone, Cass."

She turned and slid into the passenger seat, watching as Dean got into the driver's side.

He took a deep breath and looked over at her. "Pipes, I-"

She held a hand up. "Nope. Can the speech, Winchester, let's go."

When he stared at her, she smiled. "Dean, baby, did you think I was joking when I said, 'till death do us part?' Because I wasn't." She sighed. "Dean, I… I know we're not coming back from this, baby. It's okay. I… It doesn't matter to me." She looked at him and smiled through the tears in her eyes. "Dean, I love you. I'm with you to the end. Let's go get our Sammy."

 **xxxxx**

On the way there, Dean held Piper's hand like it was the only thing keeping him together, because it was.

She was incredible. She was his one good thing. She was a goddess. She was _his_ goddess, and here he was, leading her into death. Just like Famine told him he would.

"Stop it, Dean," she said softly, her head resting on his shoulder. "I love you, I'm here because I love you and Sam, and if you try to leave me on the side of the road somewhere, I'll break your nose. Deal?"

He smiled a little. "Deal, kitten."

 **xxxxx**

Piper took a deep breath as they sat in the car, looking out at Adam and Sam.

 _No, Piper. You're not looking at Adam and Sam. You're looking at Michael and Lucifer. Keep it in mind._

"Ready, kitten?'

"No, but let's go anyway."

Dean got out on his side, and Piper got out on hers. She let her face settle into a little smile.

Dean nodded at the archangels. "Howdy, boys."

Piper smiled wider. "Sorry, are we interrupting something?"

 **xxxxx**

Dean pointed at Sam. _Not Sam, Lucifer. No, Sam. You want to talk to Sam._ "Hey, we need to talk."

Lucifer scoffed. "Dean. Even for you, this is a whole new mountain of stupid."

Dean shook his head, steeling himself. "I'm not talking to you. I'm talking to Sam."

Michael shook his head. "You're no longer the vessel, Dean. You got no right to be here."

Dean saw Piper wince out of the corner of his eye. "Adam," she said softly, "if you're in there somewhere, I am so, so sorry."

Michael sneered. "Adam isn't home right now."

" _Hey,"_ Dean snapped. "Don't you talk to her." He pointed at Michael. "You're next on my list, buttercup. But right now, I need five minutes with _him,"_ he pointed at Lucifer.

Michael advanced. "You little maggot. You are no longer a part of this story!"

Out of nowhere, Castiel's voice. "Hey, ass-butt!"

Castiel threw a Molotov cocktail at Michael. The archangel screamed and went up in flames. Piper gasped, her hand over her mouth.

Dean looked at Castiel, incredulous. _"'Ass-butt?'"_

Cass shrugged helplessly, then, "He'll be back. And _upset._ But you've got your five minutes."

Lucifer was glowering. "Castiel. Did you just Molotov my brother with holy fire?"

Cass blanched. "Uh… No."

"No one dicks with Michael but me," Lucifer growled. He snapped his fingers and Castiel exploded in a shower of blood and chunks.

"Castiel!" Piper cried.

Dean stepped around the front of the car and looked at Lucifer. "Sammy, can you hear me?"

Lucifer sneered again. "You know… I tried to be nice, for Sammy's sake. But you…" He grabbed Dean's coat, "are such a _pain…"_ he tossed him onto the hood of the car. Dean gasped as pain exploded in his back and he heard the shattering of glass. "In my ass."

"Dean!" he heard Piper shout.

Gunshots rang through the air, and Dean turned to see Bobby holding the smoking Colt in his hand. He looked at Dean and shrugged.

Lucifer made a hand motion, and Bobby's neck snapped to the side.

" _No!"_ Dean called out, reaching a useless hand to his father figure.

" _Bobby!"_ Piper shrieked, running around to the front of the car.

" _Piper!"_ Dean cried. _Too close, she's too close, she's too close!_

Lucifer turned and examined Piper, who stared up at him defiantly.

"You haven't won yet," she said in a low, dangerous voice, "So don't get cocky, motherfucker."

Lucifer backhanded her, and Dean heard the snap of her neck as she went flying and became still.

" _Piper! No!'_

Dean felt everything important in him die as the life fled his wife's eyes.

 **xxxxx**

Piper opened her eyes, and she was in her and Dean's bedroom at Bobby's. Their clothes in the closet, the extra blanket, everything was the same.

Except, of course, her husband wasn't there.

"God dammit," she snapped, standing angrily.

"Calm yourself, dearest," a sardonic English voice said from behind her.

She spun and glared. "Don't call me dearest. Who the fuck are you?"

There was a tall, thin, blonde man standing there. He was dressed in a remarkable amount of leather for an angel. He smiled, his hip cocked to the side as he leaned against the doorway. "Balthazar, dear. And don't get comfy, I have a feeling you won't be here for long."

She frowned. "Why?"

He examined his nails. "Oh, Cassie has a way of getting what he wants. And he has a particular affinity for Winchesters." He winked. "Even married-in ones."

She stared at him. "What?"

He shrugged. "I'm betting on your boys, dearest."

She glared. "Don't call me dearest."

Then everything went dark.

 **xxxxx**

Piper woke up looking at Castiel, who definitely had his angel mojo back. "Cass?" He looked like a soldier again.

She turned and saw Dean, still kneeling on the ground next to the Impala. "Dean!" she cried, scrambling to her feet and running to him, the angel forgotten.

She fell to her knees again and flung herself into Dean's arms. "Piper, Jesus," he whispered brokenly, pressing his face into her neck.

"Oh, God, Dean, it's okay, I'm right here, baby, I love you, I'm right here." She wrapped her arms around his neck and rocked him gently, just holding him.

Because all she could do in her grief was hold him close in his.

 **xxxxx**

Dean clung to his wife like the lifeline she had always been, like the only port in the raging storm of desperation and pain that was his life, like she was the only rock in the terrible river sweeping him away.

Because she was.

Because she always had been.

 _Because she was all he had left now._

And he had a promise to keep.

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi everyone! Here's my notes:**  
 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)**  
 **Reviews, comments, and kudos give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.**  
 **If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.**  
 ****Whew. Hurt my own feelings with this chapter. I hope I did it justice.**


	68. We've Done Enough

"What are you gonna do now?" Dean asked, glancing back into the rearview to look at Castiel.

Piper sighed and snuggled deeper against Dean's warmth. They were driving back to Sioux Falls, and she felt cold. She was vaguely worried that she'd never get warm again.

The angel was in the backseat. "Return to heaven, I suppose," he said thoughtfully.

"Heaven?"

"With Michael in the cage, I'm sure it's total anarchy up there."

She heard the frown in Dean's voice. "So, what, you're the new sheriff in town?" She sat up to give him a look.

She saw Castiel smile a little in the rearview. "I like that. Yeah. I suppose I am."

Dean snorted. "Wow, God gives you a brand new, shiny set of wings, and suddenly you're his bitch again."

Castiel seemed to take this in stride. "I don't know what God wants. I don't know if he'll even return. It just… Seems like the right thing to do."

Piper placed a hand on Dean's leg to stop the anger about to pour from his mouth, but he ignored her. "Well, if you do see him, you tell him I'm coming for him next."

Cass frowned. "You're angry."

Dean snorted again. "That's a fuckin' understatement."

"Dean, come on," Piper said softly.

"He helped," Castiel protested. "Maybe even more than we realized."

"Easy for you to say," Dean snapped. "He brought _you_ back. But what about Sam? What about me, huh? Where's my grand prize? All I got is my brother in a hole!"

Piper watched as Castiel changed into someone cold and imperial. "You got what you asked for, Dean. No para-"

Fury washed through Piper, and she latched onto the only emotion she had felt since Sam had died. _"Fuck_ you, Castiel," she said softly, interrupting him. When he looked at her, he was no longer cold and imperial. He looked... Confused and upset. She ignored it. "Go fuck yourself. Get the hell out of this car and go fuck yourself. How _dare_ you suggest this is what we asked for?"

When he opened his mouth to argue, she looked forward through the windshield, refusing to meet his eyes in the rearview. "Just go," she said softly, "We're done here."

With the sound of wings, he disappeared. She sank into Dean's side once more, numbness settling over her again.

 **xxxxx**

It was awkward when they dropped Bobby off.

Piper left Dean alone with Bobby to say his goodbyes. Dean had been surprised when she'd declared they weren't staying at Bobby's, but she knew better. They couldn't stay here, not with the memories of Sam littered all over the place. His clothes, his laptop, his books, his favorite _beer,_ for fuck's sake. There was no way they could stay here.

She gathered their things and came back out to see Bobby and Dean looking awkwardly at the ground. She rolled her eyes and loaded their bags in the trunk. _Men._

She walked back around and smiled at Bobby's arms already held open for her. She walked into them, wrapping her own arms around his neck, and hugged him close. "We'll see you later, Bobby," she said softly, keeping a lid on her emotions.

"Take care of him, Pi," he said roughly, "And yourself, too."

She stepped back and gave a mock salute. "Yes, sir."

When she turned to Dean, hearing Bobby start to make his way back up to the house, her husband looked lost. So she gently took the keys from him, led him to the passenger side, and drove them away.

 **xxxxx**

Dean didn't know where Piper was going, and he didn't care. As long as he was with her.

Because nothing else mattered.

 **xxxxx**

Piper drove until she was tired (more tired than she already was), then found a little town to stop in. She carefully drove to a liquor store, bought enough whiskey to keep them good and drunk, then found a shitty little motel. She used the rest of the cash they had on them (she had to take it out of Dean's coat herself, he was in no place to help her), and rented the room out for two weeks. She got extra blankets and pillows and took them to the room.

She took their bags in next, leaving Dean sitting in the passenger seat, staring ahead. When she was done, she came out to the passenger side and opened the door, then crouched next to him, her hand on his knee.

"Dean?" she rasped, her voice harsh from disuse.

He turned slowly to look at her, and the look in his green eyes would haunt her for a long, long time. "Yeah, kitten?" he asked in a whisper.

She patted his knee. "Come on, honey. Let's go to bed."

He let her lead him into the room by the hand. When they were in, she put the 'Do Not Disturb' sign up, then locked the door and set the chain.

She turned back to see her husband slowly pulling his jacket off, like he wasn't sure what to do. She took pity on him and pulled his coat off of his shoulders. She gently, slowly undressed him, tears starting to stream down her face. When he was just in a t-shirt and boxers, she undressed herself until she was in just a t-shirt and panties.

Then she arranged the extra blankets and pillows on the bed, and she pulled a bottle of whiskey out of her bag. When she turned around, he was sitting up in bed, his back against the headboard. She crawled in next to him, and his arm slid around her shoulders in a familiar, infinitely comforting way. She opened the bottle of whiskey and handed it to him, then got the remote and found an old black and white movie on TV.

They fell asleep several hours later, the TV still on, both drunk out of their minds.

 **xxxxx**

Dean was never able to remember very much of the first three days without Sam.

He and Piper stayed in bed, almost naked, unless she was answering the door for food, and then she usually put his sweats on. She would then bring the food back to the bed, they would eat, wash it down with whiskey, and pass out.

He woke up crying several times, and his face was always already pressed into Piper's neck. She would whisper soothing nonsense, sweet nothings, keeping up a steady stream of love and support while he let it out.

His nightmares had also come back in full force, and she weathered that storm with him, too. She dodged him, calling out to wake him up, crawling back into bed with him once he had. He also knew that he hadn't woken up each time, because there was a bruise blossoming on her ribs, and one on her left thigh that looked like it hurt.

But she never uttered a word of complaint. She just held him through the grief.

 **xxxxx**

On the fourth day, Piper cracked an eye open, looking blearily around the room. She didn't know what day it was, but at least she knew it was the fourth day.

She also knew that her head was killing her, her stomach was rolling, and she had never had a hangover quite this bad. She tried to take a deep breath, but the smell of the room had her stopping _that_ almost immediately. _Ugh._

She turned and looked at Dean. She smiled a little for the first time in days, though she was numb and heartbroken at the same time.

He looked peaceful, and the years fell off of his face when he was asleep. Her handsome husband, who snored like nobody's business when he was drunk-sleeping, but who was also quite the snuggler when he was drunk-sleeping. _I love you so fucking much._

But she did not love the way he smelled, so she hit him on the shoulder gently. "Dean, get up," she said softly, ready to bail if he made an aggressive move. "Dean, baby, get up."

He groaned and opened an eye. "What?"

She pushed him a little. "We need to shower, Dean. You smell, I smell, I probably look awful, and you… Well, you always look good, but you still smell bad."

Before she could react, he had an arm around her waist and pulled her back down onto the bed, nuzzling her neck. "You look good to me, kitten," he slurred. Then he groaned. "Why does my head feel like someone shot at it?"

She kissed his temple. "Because we've been whiskey drunk for three days. Come on, handsome, in the shower with you."

 **xxxxx**

Dean stayed in bed for a few minutes after Piper got up, listening to her slowly strip her clothes off and step into the bathroom. When the water started, he let his mind wander.

 _Leave hunting._

Could he even do that? Could he live in the real world, with bills and steady hours and junk mail? What the hell _was_ junk mail, even? He wasn't sure he knew where to start. And what if Piper said no? How could someone keep a promise that involved someone else, if that someone else didn't want to keep it?

His brain tried to turn to Sam, but he skittered away from that. Instead he stood and stretched hard, groaning when the pounding in his head got exponentially worse. He pulled his t-shirt off and stepped out of his boxers, then followed her into the bathroom.

When he pulled the shower curtain back, she was standing at the back of the shower, just staring at the water, eyes wide and dry. Concerned, he put a hesitant hand out to her. "Pipes?"

She looked at him and swallowed hard. "I, just, um… It's kind of dumb, but… But I haven't, um, I haven't showered since… And he hugged me, and what if… I mean, it's kind of awful, right? But what am I going to do, just _never_ shower again? That's crazy! But what am I supposed to do, just wash him off?!" Her voice started getting higher, and she started speaking faster and faster. "I can't just wash him off, because then what will I have?! Nothing! I'll never have anything again, because he's gone, so what am I supposed to do?! It's a betrayal, I could never do that to him, I-"

He stepped in quickly and stopped her words with his lips on hers. She whimpered, and he pulled away, putting a hand on the back of her head and pressing her face into his chest. "I know, kitten," he said roughly, "It's okay."

He held her for a long time while she cried, gently rocking her back and forth. His rational, smart, compassionate wife, who he now realized was also grieving. He whispered all of the nonsense she'd whispered to him, told her that he loved her, and that she was beautiful, and that they were going to make it.

Eventually, she let him lead her into the water. He turned her around and washed her hair, pressing kisses to her shoulders as he did so, ignoring the shampoo on his lips. Then he washed her, those devastating hips, her elegant legs, her flat belly. He kissed her scars, and paid special attention to the new bruises, silently apologizing for hurting her. She ran her fingers through his hair gently, silently accepting his apology.

Once they had both showered, he led her out of the tub. He gently dried her from the tips of her toes to the ends of her hair, then wrapped her in a towel and took her to out to the bedroom.

He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her, savoring the trusting way she leaned back into him. "What should we do now?" she asked. "Do you want to order food?"

He kissed the top of her head. "Let's go out, kitten."

 **xxxxx**

They were sitting at a diner booth, and Piper was already missing the motel room. Everything out here was too… _Loud,_ too brightly colored, too much. She wanted to go back.

But moving forward was the only option, and this was the most animated she'd seen Dean in days, so she quietly ordered pancakes and coffee.

Dean ordered something obnoxious that made her stomach turn, but she kept her mouth shut about it. Despite being more alert, he looked tired. There were dark circles beneath his eyes, and his face was pinched tight with sorrow. He was still the most handsome man alive, but he looked… Tired.

She sighed and dug her phone out of her pocket. When it was in her hand, she just stared at it for a few moments. She'd intended to check her voicemails, but that seemed… Too much. Too much like just going back to the life they'd been living. And suddenly, she didn't really want that life.

Shrugging it off, she powered the phone on and dialed the voicemail code, smiling and thanking the server when their food was brought out.

Mara Pink had left a voicemail. _Piper, darling, I'm so sorry. I wish I could have stopped it. I wish I could have helped. If you need anything... Well, I'm here if you need me, but I don't think you will._

Piper frowned. _That was cryptic._

Garth had also left a message. _Aw, jeeze, Smalls, are you okay? I just heard. I'm sure you're holed up with Dean somewhere_ (Piper had to smile a little at how well Garth knew her), _but if you need me, call me, Smalls. I'm serious, Piper. You know I'm here for you._

She sniffled through the tears gathering in her eyes and saved both messages, then flipped her phone sut. She smiled across the table at Dean, who was looking at her with eyebrows raised.

"Mara and Garth… Condolences," she said softly.

He nodded, and she smiled when she saw he'd already made her coffee the way she liked it.

They ate in silence, and although he had exponentially more food than she did, they finished around the same time. _The man can put food away like no one I've ever seen,_ she thought fondly.

"Pipes," he said hesitantly, "We need to talk."

She frowned. "Okay… What's up?"

He sighed and pushed his plate away. "Pipes, we… I mean, when… I promised…"

He looked so unsure of himself she couldn't help reaching across the table and threading her fingers through his. "Dean, baby, just talk to me. It's okay."

He took a deep breath. "Do you still want to take some time off?"

She blinked. That hadn't been what she'd expected. "What?"

"Time off? Beaches and little umbrellas?"

She thought about it for a moment. "Like a vacation?" she asked softly.

He ran a hand through his hair and looked out the window. "Or… Something more permanent."

"Permanent?"

He sighed heavily. "Pipes, I promised Sam we'd leave hunting. I know I shouldn't have done that without talking to you, but-"

"Yes," she said firmly. "Yes, I want to quit."

Relief had flooded through her when he'd said the word, "permanent." Piper was tired, and there were a lot of hunters saving a lot of lives out there. She no longer felt responsible for saving the world. They'd saved the world. They had paid enough. And suddenly, Mara's voicemail made much more sense.

The same relief was obvious on his face. "You do?"

She nodded shyly. "Yeah, um… Yeah. I do. I mean, you promised Sam, and… We've done enough, handsome," she said softly, meeting his amazing green eyes. "I think we've done quite enough."

He squeezed her hand gently. "I think so, too, kitten."

 **xxxxx**

As soon as they were done, they went back to the motel, took their clothes off, and fell back asleep.

They drank on and off for the rest of the time they were in the motel. They didn't stay drunk, and they showered and left the room at least once a day from then on, but they did stay quiet and somber. They were grieving, and while there was some on and off laughter, they were mostly soft spoken and gentle with each other.

On the second to last night they had the room, Piper woke up to Dean nuzzling her neck, his big hand resting on her hip. She felt the tension in the room and whimpered, tilting her head back.

His hand moved to her core, his big fingers sliding through her folds, making her gasp. _"Dean,"_ she whimpered, arching into his hand.

"God, you're gorgeous," he whispered as he sank a finger into her. She wasn't wet enough yet, but the burn felt good, so she moved with his hand as he started moving that finger in and out of her. "Love the way you look when you're coming for me," he said roughly.

She gasped. "Fuck, _Dean,_ oh, God," she whimpered, moving her hips in time with his hand.

He sank another finger into her as soon as she was wet enough, stretching her a little. He curled them to hit that electric spot, and she moaned, moving in earnest with him now, his name a prayer on her lips.

"Just a little more, come for me, kitten," he whispered. When his thumb put pressure on her clit, her world collapsed in on itself, and she arched her back and screamed for him.

He quickly pulled his fingers out of her and moved so he was on top of her, her legs spread for him. She whimpered and wrapped them around his slim waist, taking a moment to appreciate the sight of her husband hovering over her, his lust blown green eyes taking her in greedily.

He sank into her slowly, and when he bottomed out she gasped and he moaned. He pressed his lips to hers and set a slow, loving pace, worshipping her.

She returned the favor, kissing him thoroughly, then moving her lips down his beard-covered jaw (it had been days since his face had seen a razor), then down to his neck to bite his shoulder lightly. Her hands traced the defined muscles on his arms, his shoulders, then down his back as he picked up the pace and had her curling her toes and crying out his name again.

As soon as he moved his hand down to touch her again, she came hard, almost unable to make noise from the pleasure crashing through her. She was vaguely aware of him shuddering above her, his teeth pressed to her neck in a silent snarl.

He rolled to his back, taking her with him. She lay next to him, her head on his shoulder, listening while they caught their breath together.

And for the first time in almost two weeks, Piper believed that they might be all right, after all.

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi, beautiful readers! Here are my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or any of the characters. (heartbroken).**

 **Reviews and comments give me life and keep me going.**

 **And, as always, thank you for reading, you beautiful, beautiful people.**

 ****We're gonna have to go down to weekly updates for a while, guys, I'm sorry. I'm in the nonprofit world, specifically animal welfare, and this is both a slow season (which means harried fundraising), and a busy season (lots of little furry ones left out in deadly cold weather), so my life has exploded. 3 I love you guys, as soon as things slow down, we're back to every few days, I promise.**  
 ****I hope I did Dean and Piper's grief justice.**


	69. I'll Get Over It

On the last day they had the room, Piper woke tangled up in Dean. She buried her face in his chest and smiled when his arms tightened reflexively around her.

"Dean, sweetheart," she whispered, "we have to get up soon."

He pulled her up so they were face to face and kissed her gently without opening his eyes. "No," he muttered against her lips.

She laughed against his. She brought a hand up to his face, running her hands through the soft, coarse hair along his chin. "Come on, scruffy, we need to get out of this room."

He smiled and kissed her a little harder. "Mmm, you may be right. I need to shave."

She shook her head and kissed along his jaw. "I dunno, I kinda like it."

He rubbed his face against hers until she laughed and pushed at his chest. "Do you, now?" he husked against her, soothing the burning path he'd left on her cheeks with his tongue and lips. "That's interesting, kitten."

She moved around to press her lips to his. _"How_ interesting, exactly?"

As it turned out, it was _very_ interesting.

 **xxxxx**

Later, Dean watched as Piper French braided her long hair in the mirror. He leaned against the door, running his hand through the new, short beard on his jaw. He wasn't used to it, but if Piper liked it, he was willing to _get_ used to it.

"So, what's next, handsome?" she asked, still fingering the ends of her hair.

He smiled. "I owe you a beach and some little umbrellas, kitten."

She smiled back warmly. "Dean, you don't have to-"

He held a hand up. "We're going, kitten. We just gotta pick a coast."

She turned back to the mirror and tilted her head. "We need to make a few stops first, though."

 **xxxxx**

Piper ran her hands through her new, shorter, auburn hair. It was cut in a wavy bob along her chin, and she was still adjusting. "I feel like I lost all my hair just in time for you to grow more on your face," she said idly.

He chuckled and reached over to run his own hand through it as he drove. She tilted into his touch automatically. "It looks good, kitten." His arm wrapped around her and pulled her close. "Why'd you dye it back?" he asked softly.

She leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Because it's a… Like a Winchester symbol, my hair. I'm the hunter with long purple hair. So now, I have short, reddish hair. It's just… It's both keeping us from being noticed, and separating me from that life." She pressed into him harder. "I just want to be done with that life."

He nodded. "Yeah, I get that."

She thought about it for a minute. "Dean, should we… Should we maybe pick a new last name?"

He tensed. "Why?"

She shrugged. "Well, you're pretty damn famous, Dean. Saving the world and all."

Worried that he would be angry, she was surprised when he kissed the top of her head. "You're no slouch yourself, kitten."

She smiled. "So, what do you think? Do we get a new name?"

"No," he said firmly, his voice low and possessive. She shivered at the sound. "No, I like you using my last name. And if something tries to come for us, we'll make them regret it."

She let silence settle over them for a while, appreciating the way he felt against her. "Have you picked a coast yet?"

He shook his head. "Nah. Flip a coin, kitten."

 **xxxxx**

They ended up in California.

As they got closer, Dean felt himself relaxing a little. Piper was still under his arm, reading a book now, her head resting on his shoulder. The air started to smell like saltwater, and that combined with the warmth of her pressed against him had tension draining out of him.

He used the last credit card number he'd stolen (and hopefully the last he'd ever steal) to book them a nice hotel room for two weeks. It was expensive, and he almost walked out, but the sparkle in her hazel eyes while she took in the luxury around them had him shutting up and paying for it wordlessly.

Then, on impulse, he suggested they go shopping.

She looked confused. "Shopping for what?"

 _What the fuck? The apocalypse turned me into a girl._ "Nevermind," he said quickly, looking away from her.

She arched an eyebrow, and he found an absolutely _fascinating_ spot on the ceiling to examine. "Dean," she said softly, her voice low and sensual, making everything in him come alive, "What are you talking about?"

He saw her watching him in his peripherals, and he winced inwardly. _God dammit, she's still psychic._

He just… Wanted to be a normal husband for a while. He didn't want to worry about either of them going out of their minds with grief, he didn't want to worry about monsters or hell or the apocalypse. He wanted to bitch and moan while she dragged him around a department store, secretly content and damn near happy. He wanted to make her twirl for him while she tried on new clothes. He wanted to pull her into a dressing room and kiss her until she was making those breathy little sounds he loved so much. He wanted to be a man who just loved his wife, even if it was just for a while.

 _Oh, fuck. The apocalypse really did turn me into a girl._

"Actually," she said softly, and his eyes snapped down to hers when he heard the emotions she was holding back making her voice tremble. She was smiling, though, so he probably wasn't in trouble. "Actually, shopping sounds nice."

He grinned.

 **xxxxx**

Piper stared at herself in the dressing room mirror, brow furrowing as she took herself in.

She was in some little clothing store, trying on a black dress. It was their first stop of the day, and suddenly, she wasn't sure this was a good idea.

 _I guess I've never counted the scars._

A round, shiny circle on her left shin. _Werewolf in Seattle._ A very thin scar that wrapped around her right ankle a few times. _Demon in Philadelphia._ The line under her right eye. _Shifter in New Orleans._ And one pink scar peeking out from under the sleeve of the dress that she was dismayed to find she couldn't remember. The dress hid at least a dozen more.

 _How am I supposed to pass as normal looking like this?_

For the first time since she was a teenager, Piper felt… Self-conscious. She typically didn't let herself think about the way she looked, because she typically had more important things to worry about. She didn't wear makeup often, and the only real concession she gave to vanity was dying her hair.

But now, looking at herself in the mirror, in a dress that was much nicer than the clothes she usually wore, and much more feminine than anything she usually wore, she worried. The femininity of the dress didn't really match her scarred body. And thinking about her handsome husband, who she was now realizing was way out of her league, her heart started to ache.

"Everything all right, kitten?"

His voice made her jump and squeak a little, which made her frown. _Stop it, he loves you. Keep it together, Piper._

"I'm fine!"

 **xxxxx**

Dean frowned when she squeaked on the other side of the door. "Pipes, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said, her voice a touch too high and tight to be convincing, "I'll come out in a minute."

It didn't take a genius to figure out that something wasn't right. It also didn't take very long to pick the lock on the dressing room door and slip inside, shutting and locking it behind him quietly.

He was struck dumb by her for a moment, and he felt his eyes widen. The dress she wore was snug, highlighting all of those curves that made his mouth water. It fell to just below her knees, making him think of their wedding day, in turn making his heart beat faster. She looked soft and feminine and beautiful, adding another layer to all of the reasons he loved her.

Her hazel eyes met his, a question in them.

"Holy shit," he breathed out, feeling like a jackass all of the sudden. "Pipes, you look…"

She smiled a little, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Yeah?" She turned back to look at herself, tilting her head. "I dunno."

He frowned and took a step forward, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her back to press against his chest. He met her eyes in the reflection. "What's wrong, kitten?"

She shrugged and sighed. "I don't know, I just… I just don't think dresses are for me anymore."

He frowned harder and rubbed his hands up and down her arms, trying to comfort her while simultaneously trying to figure out what was going on. "Why?"

She looked down her reflection, and he let his gaze follow hers. The gentle swell of her breasts, the dramatic flare of her hips, the elegant curve of her legs, down to her lovely ankles and her cute toes. He knew that's what _he_ was seeing, but in a rare moment of insight into his wife's head, he realized she was probably looking at the scars.

"I just, Um… I don't know if I'm going to be able to pass for normal."

The suppressed emotion in her voice made something warm and protective rise up in his chest. He tucked her against him tighter. "Hey," he said firmly, upset when she wouldn't look at him. "Hey, where is this coming from, Piper?"

She shrugged again. "I don't know, I just… I mean, I _know_ I can be a hunter. I can be a _good_ hunter, I _was_ a good hunter. But what else can I be, Dean?" She looked up and met his eyes. "I mean, look at me. I'm _covered._ Covered in _scars._ I just…" She heaved a sigh and squared her shoulders a little. "It's dumb, I'll get over it."

He squeezed her a little, keeping her gaze with his. "Come on, Pipes, you know you're beautiful."

 **xxxxx**

"Come on, Pipes, you know you're beautiful."

The absolutely _sincerity_ in Dean's eyes when he said it did more to ease Piper's insecurities than anything else could have. She smiled and leaned back into him, taking in their new appearance in the mirror.

"I think you make me that way," she said softly, running her palms along his forearms around her.

He was nuzzling her neck. "Didn't need me, kitten."

 _We could do this all day._ Instead, she turned in his arms and wrapped hers around his neck. She tilted her head back and met his green eyes. All these years later, and the growing heat in his gaze and the way his mouth curled into a cocky smirk made her heart beat faster. "You know," she said huskily, "If we're really quiet-"

He interrupted her by placing a hand on the back of her head and pulling her close to kiss her hard. She whimpered and let him walk her back until she was pressed against the wall. She was helpless against the way he crowded her against it, his mouth moving down to kiss along her neck. "Dean," she whispered desperately.

"You've always been gorgeous," he whispered against her, and she felt emotion rising in her at the tender way he held her and spoke. He'd always been sweet when they were alone together.

His hand trailed down to her waist and started bunching the skirt of the dress she was wearing up. "Especially when you're begging for me."

She shuddered and spread her legs just a little for him, then gasped when he bent to take one knee into his hand and pull it up. "Keep that there, baby," he commanded softly, and she whimpered as she wrapped that leg around him, putting him tight against her heat.

He was still pressing kisses to her neck, and his hand moved gently from her knee up to her inner thigh, making her gasp and writhe. _"Dean,"_ she gasped.

He chuckled against her skin, and his fingers found her warm center. He gently tugged her panties off, and she gasped again, struggling to contain her whimpers when he knelt to remove them. He then stood, replaced her leg around his waist, and ran his fingers up her leg again.

"Shh, just like that, kitten," he murmured against her ear as he slowly sank a finger into her already wet heat, then another. "God, you're gorgeous," he whispered reverently, making tears prick the back of her eyes as she ground herself against his hand.

"Oh, _fuck,_ fuck, Dean, _fuck-"_ she kept up a steady stream of filth as he fingered her. There was a very soft, low moan coming from him, encouraging her as she slipped her hands beneath his shirt.

She turned and caught his mouth, kissing him hard. "Dean, _now,_ fuck me, please."

He grinned against her mouth and said nothing as she unzipped his jeans and pushed them and his boxers down far enough to free him. Unable to resist, she took his thick cock into her hand and pumped a few times, twisting a little at the end. He bucked into her hand helplessly, making her feel powerful and sexy.

He pushed her hand away and gathered both of her wrists into one big hand, then held them up against the wall, stretching her to her full height, pulling her body tight for him. He leaned back and let those smoldering green eyes survey her slowly frm top to bottom, then met her gaze again. "Fuck, that's hot." He leaned in to kiss her. "We're buying this, baby, and every time I see you in it, we're going to fuck."

She arched her back as much as she could and nodded frantically. "Yes, yes, whatever you want, just _please-"_

He chuckled and kissed her again, then shifted so he was pressed against her entrance. His lips brushed her ear when he whispered again. "Come on, baby, beg me for it, God you're pretty when you beg, should have told you that before, should have told you a million times-"

"Yes, please, fuck me, please, God, Dean-"

They were murmuring to each other in hushed voices, but as soon as he heard his name, he thrust into her hard, making her go rigid. She bit her lip to contain the wanton cries that wanted to escape.

He set a fast pace, making it harder and harder to stay silent. When his hand moved to her clit and he started whispering again in his wrecked voice, she was lost.

"I want you to scream for me, Piper. I want you to scream so everyone knows how hard I'm fucking you, how much you love it. Come on, kitten, come for me, scream for me-"

She came with a broken cry, her hips rolling against him madly. He grunted and stiffened a few moments later, his body shaking and his teeth sinking into her neck gently.

Before they came down, there was a knock at the door. "Ma'am? Is everything… Is everything okay?" A suspicious silence while Piper buried her face in Dean's chest to muffle her giggles. "Ma'am, is there someone in there with you?"

 **xxxxx**

They didn't get kicked out, but since they did get caught, Dean bought everything Piper had selected, ignoring her protests and winking at the blushing cashier.

 **xxxxx**

She spent the day making a show of dragging Dean around the little shopping plaza they'd found. He made his own show of complaining, but she saw the twinkle in his eyes when she handed him bags to carry, and his lips were curved into a smile when she pressed hers against them.

They spent the next two weeks sleeping, swimming in the ocean, making love on every horizontal surface they could find, including the beach, and drinking drinks with little umbrellas in them. They didn't talk about Sam, the apocalypse, Castiel, hunting, or Bobby. They talked about nonsense, or they weren't talking at all.

Piper would forever look on that time as almost perfect. They spent the whole time touching, loving, healing. It would never be okay, it would never not hurt to think of Sam. But maybe it would be all right.

And, in the end, she was okay with that.

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi, beautiful readers! Here are my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or any of the characters. (heartbroken).**

 **Reviews and comments give me life and keep me going.**

 **And, as always, thank you for reading, you beautiful, beautiful people.**

 ****I just love Dean and Piper.**


	70. This Will be Good for Us

Dean looked around the apartment they were being shown, trying not to let his displeasure be too obvious.

Piper, of course, could see right through him. She smiled and walked up to him, slipping her hand into his. "No?"

He sighed and ran his free hand through his hair. "I don't know, kitten, it's kind of small."

She nodded. "I agree, I'm not a big fan. Plus, we should have at least one extra bedroom."

He let go of her hand to wrap his arm around her and pull her snug against him. "And I think we need a garage."

She looked up at him, and, like he always did, he lost himself a little in her hazel eyes. "Why do we need a garage?"

He pressed his lips to her forehead. "Gonna have to put Baby away."

She stiffened in shock and leaned back to look up at him. "What? Why? We can't put the Impala away, what are you talking about?"

He kept her close and sighed. "If we're gonna do this, go live the apple pie life, you're right. We should probably… Be careful. Put stuff away."

She was still staring at him. "But _Baby?"_

He wrapped a hand around the back of her head and kissed her hard, relishing the way she immediately softened and melted against him. When he came up for air, he pressed his forehead to hers and stared into her eyes. "You're more important, Pipes. Let's blow this joint."

 **xxxxx**

Piper found them a small house in a nice neighborhood with a two car garage. The rent was reasonable, the garage was long enough to fit Baby and Piper's Jeep at the same time, and the neighbors seemed nice. She liked it.

Dean didn't seem to care one way or another, as long as they could stick the Impala in a garage, so she took the lead.

They walked through with the landlord, and Piper fell even more in love. Old, dramatic archways from the kitchen to the living room. Big bay windows, a decent sized kitchen, and two bathrooms cinched the deal. They signed the papers before they left, and walked out with keys in hand.

 **xxxxx**

Dean found a shop that didn't look too hard at his credentials, and found himself working as a mechanic. He was good at it, and he liked it. He liked helping people this way, instead of… The other way he'd helped people.

Piper found a job waiting tables, and even if she didn't like it, she was friendly and pretty enough to make good money at it.

Dean found the routine that they fell into extremely relaxing. They worked during the day, then came home to one another at night. He realized that it was probably what ever lower middle class couple did, but it was still a novelty to him. Being in one place, in one home, every night with Piper enchanted him.

A few weeks in, he was sitting on the couch, flipping through channels and thinking about that when she came in and curled up next to him. She had a book in her hands, and she ended up resting her head on his thigh, her ankles crossed and propped up on the arm of the sofa. He automatically began running his fingers through her short hair, just needing to touch her.

A long time passed like that, then she looked up at him. "Is this okay?"

He didn't stop his ministrations as he looked down at her. "What?"

She waved a hand. "This. The domestic life. Is it okay?"

He smiled and bent down to press his lips to hers. "Yeah, kitten, it's okay."

 **xxxxx**

They were invited to a block party the next week, and as much as he didn't want to, Dean followed Piper down the street, cautiously eyeing the crowd of strangers gathered there.

"Why are we doing this, again?" He asked grumpily.

"We're _assimilating,_ handsome," she said cheerfully. She walked next to him, her hand in his, and he watched the way the skirt she wore swirled around her calves. "This will be good for us. We need non-hunter friends."

"Why?"

She laughed and tugged him close to kiss him. "Because we're normal now," she said against his lips, "And normal people are friends with their neighbors."

He sighed and wrapped his arm around her waist as they got closer to the party. "Whatever you say, kitten."

"Hi!"

Dean looked up to see a pretty woman smiling and greeting them. Her eyes sparkled, and she waved them into the backyard of what was presumably her home. "Come on in! My name is Brandy Kasic, and I'm the hostess of this little shindig. You guys must be the new neighbors!"

Dean let Piper take the lead, just smiling and standing behind her. "Yeah, we just moved in a few weeks ago," his wife said cheerfully. "My name is Piper Winchester, and this is my husband, Dean." Dean smiled when she said her name. He had been telling the truth, he _liked_ her using his last name. It was stupid, possessive, sexist bullshit, but it lay his claim on her, and he liked that quite a bit.

"Winchester like the rifle?" Brandy asked.

Piper smiled. "Just like the rifle."

Brand smiled back. "Well, I'm so glad you came. We're a pretty close-knit little community, and we were all _so_ curious! Come meet everyone, Piper, and Dean, I'll take mercy on you and say the husbands are on the other side of the pool."

Piper laughed and turned to kiss him hard, briefly. "Go play nice," she said softly, smiling and running her soft hand down his face.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Whatever you say, kitten."

 **xxxxx**

 _Domestic life is… Not that bad._

Dean was remarkably all right with the block party. He needn't have worried about too many questions being asked, the men he was with didn't particularly care what line of work he was in before. As soon as he mentioned he worked on cars, that's where the conversation stayed. The beer kept flowing, the food was good, and he spent the night watching Piper out of the corner of his eye.

 _She's good at this._ He watched her socialize easily, her auburn hair tucked behind her ear. She had a beer in her hand, but she nursed it. The week they'd spent drunk out of their minds had turned her off of drinking for a while, he knew.

Around an hour after they'd been there, a thought struck him. He broke away from the group of men briefly. He approached her, snagged her around the waist and kissed her breathless. She gasped and froze for a moment, then wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. He grinned against her lips and pulled away to kiss her forehead again. "Just checking in, kitten."

She blinked, then smiled up at him. "All right, well, I'm fine, caveman."

He wandered back to the group of "hubbies," knowing that she knew he'd just wanted to kiss her in front of a big group of people. He was unable to wipe the grin off of his face.

 **xxxxx**

"Neanderthal," Piper said fondly, watching her husband swagger back over to the big group of men.

"That was hot as hell," Brandy said softly, waving a hand at her face.

Piper was enjoying herself immensely. The tiny fears she'd held in the back of her mind (that no one would like her, that she'd have trouble being around normal people) had been swept away by Brandy. Brandy was _darling,_ a very kind woman who had a genuine interest in other people. It was refreshing.

There was also something deeply satisfying about seeing Dean relaxed and talking to normal people.

Tara, another neighbor, laughed and nodded. "Oh, my, you're damn right it was. Piper, I hope you don't mind me saying this…"

Piper chuckled as the other woman trailed off. "But Dean's face should be on billboards across the country?"

Brandy smiled. "Yes, yes it should."

Piper nodded. "Yeah, I'm not sure how I got so lucky." And she absolutely meant it.

 **xxxxx**

Walking home that night, hand in hand, Piper smiled up at him. "So? Was it as bad as you thought it would be?"

He shrugged and shook his head. "Nah, they're good guys. And the food was good. Whoever made that pie might be my one and only."

She mock glared and poked him in the side. "Hey, you, _I'm_ your one and only."

He chuckled and pulled her close to kiss her temple. "Yes, ma'am."

She squeezed his hand. "But you had a good time? Do you think we can make it work here?"

He seemed to think about it for a long time, but eventually nodded. "Yeah, we can. We could make it work anywhere, kitten."

 **xxxxx**

The block party seemed to relax something deep inside Dean. Maybe it was watching Piper have a good time. Maybe it was proving to themselves and whoever else was watching that they could do this, be part of a community. But whatever it was, life just got better from there.

Dean got a promotion at work, just enough that he insisted Piper go down to part-time at the restaurant. He didn't like her working there, with handsy men and an asshole for a manager. She agreed, but only _because_ her manager was an asshole.

She started baking, and volunteering, and Dean got to see who she was outside of being a raging badass hunter. She was soft, she smiled and laughed more, and she was in general less tense. There was still sadness in her eyes, and she still cried often, but it was becoming less frequent.

Dean's own episodes of grief became farther and farther apart, and when the holidays started to roll around, he found that, while he still thought about Sam almost constantly, it was much less painful.

 **xxxxx**

By mutual agreement, they decided that Halloween wasn't their thing. So that night, Piper left a huge bowl of candy on the front porch, they turned all the lights off, and stayed in bed. They drew the curtains and stuck an old John Wayne movie in.

Her head lay on his bare chest, simultaneously listening to his heartbeat and to the movie. Both were doing a good job of sending her off to sleep, along with her leg slung across his, her arm resting low on his abdomen. His warmth was sinking into her, making her even drowsier. _Oh, God, I'm getting old._

She thought about their situation, how they'd only been civilians for a short while, and it already seemed a little surreal that they'd done anything else. She thought about how peaceful it was, how much lighter Dean's step was, and how much more content she was. It was bordering on happy, even.

She had called Bobby the day before, just to check in. The older man had been gruff and distracted. She had ended the call hurt and confused, and she'd shared that with Dean. He had wrapped her tight in his arms, his head resting on her chin. "He's probably on a hunt, kitten," he'd said roughly. She'd silently buried her face in his chest, accepting the comfort he offered.

"What are you thinking about, kitten?"

His deep voice sent shivers down her spine as she looked up at him and smiled. She thought briefly of trying to hide it, but not only did he know her too well for that, Piper never really entertained the thought of lying to Dean. If she expected honesty from him (and she very much did), she had to give it back.

"The call with Bobby yesterday."

He smoothed her hair out of her eyes, then cupped her face with his big hand. "Come on, Pipes, there's a hundred reasons he couldn't talk."

She nodded. "I know. I just feel like when we came here, we left everyone we cared about behind." She paused, then, "What do you think about inviting him for Thanksgiving dinner? Maybe Garth, too?"

He ran his hand through her hair and her eyes drifted closed. "Sounds like a plan, kitten."

She smiled, pressed a kiss to his warm flesh, and lay her head back down. "I'll call them tomorrow."

 **xxxxx**

Dean held Piper as she slept through the majority of the movie, absentmindedly savoring her warm softness pressed against him.

He was irritated at Bobby for being abrupt with her. If he'd been able to see her when she'd gotten on the phone, that terrible sad look on her face, he knew Bobby would have felt bad. The old man loved Piper almost as much as Dean himself did.

 _Gonna have to have a talk with him._

When the credits ran, he silently turned the TV off, then gently and slowly rearranged Piper until his chest was pressed against her back and his face was buried in her hair. He was asleep almost instantly.

 **xxxxx**

Bobby and Garth, along with a couple of friends of Piper's from their hunting days, agreed to come to Thanksgiving. She went into a flurry of cleaning and organizing, which amused Dean a great deal. And when she gave him a "honey do" list, he found that he didn't mind a bit. He just pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek and set about getting things done.

He was in the backyard of their little house, raking leaves, when he thought he felt a presence. He stopped and looked around, listening sharply for any sign of someone else in the area. All he heard were Brandy and Steve's kids playing in their own backyard, no sign of anyone in his.

"Dean?"

At Piper's concerned voice, he turned and gave her an easy smile. "Just spacing out, kitten."

She cocked an eyebrow. "Well, quit that, so you can get done with what you're doing and we can move on to… _Other_ things."

He dropped the rake where it was and covered the few yards between them in a matter of seconds. He didn't even stop when he bent and tossed her over his shoulder. Her laughter rang through the house as he carried her up the stairs.

"I feel like moving on now, kitten."

 **xxxxx**

Sated and sweaty, Piper smiled against Dean's hot skin. "Mmm, we still have so much to do before next week."

He kissed the top of her head, apparently ignoring her damp hair. His chest was still heaving. "I don't know, I felt like I've _done_ a lot today…"

She laughed and pressed against him to sit up. "Come on, lazy, we've got work to do."

She squealed when he tackled her and rolled, pinning her beneath him again and reigniting the heat in her core. "Lazy, hmm?" he asked, nuzzling her sweaty neck. "I'll show you lazy."

Later, she reflected that she had never both regretted and not regretted a word choice so vehemently in her life.

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi, beautiful readers! Here are my notes:**

 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or any of the characters. (heartbroken).**

 **Reviews and comments give me life and keep me going.**

 **And, as always, thank you for reading, you beautiful, beautiful people.**


	71. Little Bit of a Different Animal

"Dean, baby, I love you, but you are _right_ in the way."

Dean grinned and watched Piper bustle around him in the kitchen on Thanksgiving Day. "I know."

She rolled her eyes and moved around him with a mixing bowl of sliced apples. "You know, these are for _your_ pie, you'd think you'd behave a little better."

Dean set his beer down and followed her to the counter where she set the bowl down. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her temple. "Mhm," he hummed softly against her.

She leaned back against him, and Dean felt peace work it's way through him again. He hadn't known this would happen, that he would be so content here, with her. He hadn't known that this life would be this good. If he had, he may have clubbed her over the head and dragged her to the suburbs the moment he'd laid eyes on her again, when he'd come out from under Baby and seen her sitting on the hood of that sedan.

"I have to move, handsome," she said with a smile, pushing back against him.

"No," he said gently, turning her around so she was facing him and pinning her there with his hips. He took her face into his hands, examined her for just a moment, then bent and met her lips with his. He kissed her thoroughly, smiling a little against her lips when she responded enthusiastically.

He pulled away and pressed his lips to her forehead. She leaned against him again. "What was that for?" she asked softly.

"I love you, kitten," he whispered.

She leaned back and smiled warmly. "I love you, too, handsome."

And he felt something deep inside him change forever, _again,_ so he kissed her again, until she laughed and banished him from the kitchen.

 **xxxxx**

Piper flung the door open. "Garth!"

Garth grinned and held up a plastic bag. "Smalls! I brought wine."

She smiled and stepped out to hug him fiercely. "I'm so glad you're here," she whispered.

He wrapped an arm around her and held her close. "Me, too, Smalls." He took a step back and smiled. "Where's Dean?"

"Inside, already on the couch."

"Because I was told to stay out of the kitchen," Dean said amicably from behind her. "Garth, how's it goin', man?"

She smiled and took the wine from Garth's hand to take it into the kitchen. She listened while the men talked in the living room, smiling at Dean's lame, awkward attempts to converse with Garth, who was a creature all his own.

She was happy, but it was overshadowed by doubt. Doubt about Bobby. Why had he acted so strange on the phone? Like he… Like he didn't want to talk to her.

She stopped mashing potatoes and looked up, eyes narrowing. _Like he's hiding something from me._

She thought for a moment about it, then went back to mashing the potatoes. _Well, I'm definitely not just going to let that go._

 **xxxxx**

On the way to Dean and Piper's, Bobby tried to put his game face on.

He figured he could fool Dean. Dean wasn't that observant to begin with, and Bobby suspected he would be too wrapped up in his wife to notice much about Bobby. So he wasn't real worried about Dean.

He was _real_ worried about Piper.

Piper was not only observant, she was annoyingly compassionate and empathetic, so if she saw that he was hiding something, or that he was distressed, she would ask him about it. And she would keep asking until, somehow, he was telling her everything she wanted to know.

And he couldn't do that this time. He had to stay strong against her big hazel eyes and her sharp wit. Because now, what he knew would hurt her. And Bobby would rather die a hundred times than be the cause of Piper's hurt.

She hadn't said so on the phone, but her happiness had come through clear as day in her voice. She had taken to the civilian life fast and hard, and she was flourishing. Bobby wouldn't ruin that for her.

He felt the same about Dean, of course. They were his _kids._ He loved them, and seeing them happy after so many years of seeing them fight and be devastated and sad and beaten… Well, it was the best thing Bobby had ever done.

So he steeled himself as he turned down their street. _Game face, Singer._

 **xxxxx**

Dean watched, in equal parts amusement and irritation, as Bobby dodged being alone even for a second with the very determined Mrs. Winchester.

If Bobby was in the kitchen, and he heard Piper head his way, he would dart out to the living room and strike up a quick conversation with Garth, which was a feat in and of itself. If he was _anywhere_ and he heard her coming, he would quickly make sure someone else was around, to keep the pressure off.

A surprising number of people had shown up, at least it was surprising to Dean. Hunters from all over had come to Piper's call, and his wife was on cloud nine.

Except for the fact that Bobby wouldn't talk to her.

Sometime in the middle of the evening, Piper seemed to accept defeat. Dean saw a myriad of emotions cross her pretty features, and it had him immediately putting his plate down and crossing the room to be with her. When she saw him, she smiled and raised her arms so he could pull her close as she wrapped them around his neck.

He rocked her back and forth for a moment. "It's gonna be okay, kitten."

She nodded and took a deep breath, but left her face buried in his neck. "I know."

"Want me to kick his ass?"

She laughed softly and leaned back to smile at him. "No, no, of course not. I'll be all right. It's just… I guess it's just another adjustment I have to make."

Dean kissed her on the forehead, partially out of affection, partially to hide his frown. "We'll make it together, baby."

 **xxxxx**

She held it together until everyone but Garth was gone, and even until he passed out on the couch, too drunk to walk to the car, much less drive.

Piper was a little surprised at the force of the feeling of betrayal she was experiencing. She had been shocked when Bobby had started avoiding talking to her one-on-one, but had been determined to catch him and drag the truth out of him.

But he'd been fast, and she hadn't been able to catch him, and sometime halfway through the evening, she'd given up completely. He was definitely hiding something from her, something he'd _never_ done before, and now he wouldn't even be alone with her. She was heartbroken.

Dean, ever the psychic, and known immediately. And as usual, his arms had kept her from the worst of the storm somehow, enough so that she could keep up a happy facade until everyone had left.

As soon as everyone was gone, she was starting to clean up in the kitchen. She didn't even realize how upset she was until her chest heaved and her vision blurred, making her carefully set down the plate she'd been washing.

She wasn't even there for a second when his strong, warm arms were encircling her, bringing her into his body heat, and his lips were at her ear. "Come on, Pipes, leave this for tomorrow, let's go to bed, baby."

She shook her head, but made no move to defy him. "No, I… I mean, I can't just leave this mess here."

He gently pulled her hands out of the sink and nodded. "Yes, you can. Come on, kitten, I'm tired, humor me."

She followed him upstairs to their bedroom, the stripped her clothes off and crawled into bed next to him, where he immediately pulled her close again, his big hand rubbing comforting circles into her hip. She groaned and buried her face in his chest. "Why am I so upset?"

"You love Bobby, and he's being a bastard," he said softly, pressing gentle kisses to her forehead, down to her cheekbones, and across her nose.

"But, _you're_ not upset by it," she protested in a whisper.

He smiled against her. "Pipes, I'm a little bit of a different animal than you are."

She decided to just… Let it go. She was upset, and she would deal with her father figure later. But for now, she was in bed, naked, with her insanely attractive husband, who loved her to distraction.

As she ran her hand down his muscled abdomen and smiled when his breath quickened, Piper decided she had much, _much_ better things to think about.

 **xxxxx**

The next morning, Dean woke before Piper did. He watched her sleep, curled on her side. Her auburn hair was a crazy cloud around her pretty face, and his heart ached with how much he felt for her.

Dean _adored_ Piper. He loved her spirit, and her heart, and her sweet demeanor. He was in awe of her strength, physically and otherwise. He admired her tenacity and her intelligence. He lived for the sparkle in her eye and the curve of her lips into a smile.

And suddenly, he was _extremely_ irritated at Bobby.

He got out of bed slowly, moving carefully so as not to wake her up. He pulled on a pair of sweats, almost walked out the door, remembered that Garth was probably still on the couch, grabbed a t-shirt and pulled it on, _then_ walked out the door.

He grabbed his cell phone and walked out to the back deck. He dialed the number from memory, then looked around the backyard idly as it rang. _Maybe we should get a dog. Piper would like a dog, and I could put up with it._

"Dean?"

"Bobby," he said genially. "Got a minute?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess. What's up?"

Dean thought for a brief moment, but he knew what he wanted to say. "So, you wanna tell me what the fuck that was yesterday? Why you were avoiding Piper?"

Bobby sighed, which just made Dean angrier. "Dean, there's just-"

"Just what? Some big secret you're keeping from her? Some big, bullshit reason you'll barely even look at her?"

The silence on the other end of the line told him all he needed to know.

He groaned and rubbed a hand down his face. "God dammit, Bobby. What is it? What could possibly be so important that you're ignoring Piper?"

"No, Dean, I'm not telling you anything. It's nothin' I can't handle."

Dean closed his eyes and fought with his temper. "Anything we can do?"

"No. I don't want you kids getting back into this. You stay there, take care of Piper."

"Yeah, yeah, I will." Dean let a beat pass, then, "Listen, Bobby. You know… I… I mean-"

"Spit it out, boy, I gotta get offa here."

Dean took a deep breath. "Bobby, if you're going to be a dick to Piper, don't come back around here. Don't come and make her life hell just because you can't… You shoulda seen her last night, Bobby," he said desperately, hoping the older man would understand.

The second long silence told Dean that Bobby did, in fact, understand.

"What am I supposed to do when she invites me?"

"Make something up, God dammit! You've been lying to people for as long as I've known you, Bobby, figure something out!"

"All right, all right. Now, this don't mean I'm gonna stay away forever," Bobby said ominously. "You're my kids, I'm coming around sometime or another."

"Yeah, yeah. Just… Just make sure you're not a dick when you're around Piper, all right?"

There was a moment, then, "Okay. Yeah, you're right. Apologize for me, will you?"

"Yeah, I will. Take care of yourself, Bobby."

"You, too, boy."

Dean flipped the phone shut and watched the backyard some more, looking around and surveying the land they rented. _Should we get a dog? Maybe Pipes wants one. She likes Brandy's dog, that little rat thing. Of course, we'd get a bigger one, I don't want something I can kill by sitting on it-_

Her slender arms slipping around his waist pulled him out of his thoughts. She pressed her face into his back. "Whatcha upto?"

He ran his palms down her forearms, then circled her delicate wrists with his fingers. "Just soaking in the morning, kitten."

"Liar," she murmured, planting a kiss on his back. Then she slipped beneath his arm and came around to his front, smiling up at him. "Was that Bobby?"

He sighed and just held her close, giving up completely on ever being able to keep anything at all from her. "Yeah, just called to chat with him about yesterday."

She lay her cheek on his chest and hummed a little. "Threatened him, did you?"

"I was nice," he said vaguely.

"Ah, so you were just confrontational."

He put his chin on top of her head. "He deserved it."

She was quiet for a long time, then, "Yeah, he kind of did." She lifted her head and smiled. "Garth's already gone. Do you have to work today?" When he shook his head, the heat in her eyes made his head spin a little. "Good, because I have _plans_ for you, Mr. Winchester."

 **xxxxx**

After what happened at Thanksgiving, they decided not to have people over for Christmas.

Instead, Dean took her to the hotel in California they'd gone to right after the prize fight. Her sparkling hazel eyes told him it was a good call. _So, she likes revisiting our greatest hits, good to know._

He woke up on Christmas morning in bed by himself. He frowned and turned onto his stomach, burying his face into the pillow. She'd be around somewhere.

He was proven right by her warm hands on the bare planes of his back, and the feeling of her straddling his hips. He groaned. "Morning, kitten."

There was a smile in her voice. "Morning, handsome." She leaned over hip and nipped at his ear. "Merry Christmas, Dean."

Smirking, he bucked and flipped beneath her, so she was suddenly straddling his hips as he lay on his back. She was wearing one of his flannels, and what looked like very, _very_ little else.

Starting at her knees, he ran his hands up her legs, the smirk widening into a grin on his face when her eyes got wider and wider. "Merry Christmas, Piper."

 **xxxxx**

Later, at a little cafe she'd liked when they came the first time, Piper watched Dean smile and interact with the people around them. The first time they'd come there, he had been quiet and closed off, only focused on her, always touching her somehow.

Now, of course, he was still focused on her, but he was more relaxed, less withdrawn. It was a good change.

"I love you," she said softly, smiling at him over her menu.

He looked at her for a moment, then smiled. "You, too, Pipes."

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi, beautiful readers! Here are my notes:**  
 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or any of the characters. (heartbroken).**  
 **Reviews and comments give me life and keep me going.**  
 **And, as always, thank you for reading, you beautiful, beautiful people.**


	72. Not Gonna Let That Happen

They had talked about kids, and decided on a system.

Every morning, Piper left her birth control on the bathroom counter. They agreed that on the day she felt ready, she would put it up in the cabinet instead. When Dean came into the bathroom, if he saw that it was gone, but didn't himself feel ready, he would take it out and put it back on the counter. No mess, no fuss, no hard feelings.

Piper kept it on the bathroom counter for a long time, waiting for them to heal.

 **xxxxx**

After Christmas, life settled back down at the Winchester home.

Piper got a new job at a smaller restaurant. She made less money, but the people were nicer, so she liked it. Dean stayed where he was. He liked it enough, he was good at it, and the money was good. And it let him be at home with Piper every night, which was the most important quality a job could have as far as Dean was concerned.

A few weeks after the new year, Dean found a kitten outside the house. He almost left it, but it's pathetic little mewls had him rolling his eyes and berating himself as he picked it up and brought it inside.

As he should have suspected, Piper fell wildly, madly in love with the little orange tabby on sight. After much discussion, and pleading, and puppy dog eyes, Dean caved and agreed they could keep it.

"But I'm not going to like it."

 **xxxxx**

A few weeks after Dean brought the kitten (which Piper affectionately named "Monster") into the house, she walked in on him sleeping on the couch on his back, arms crossed. In the crook of one elbow, also curled up and dead to the world, was Monster.

She smiled and snapped a picture with her cell phone. "Not going to like it my ass."

She went into the kitchen to bake him a pie, suddenly overwhelmed with the need to spoil her husband a little. Things had been so, incredibly good since they'd come here. She had never realized how much a routine, a normal, steady life could heal a person, much less two.

When she was done in the kitchen, she scooted him over on the couch until he groaned and turned to his side to wrap his arm around her. Monster meowed, then jumped over Dean and Piper to curl at the small of her back, surrounding her in warmth. She fell asleep with her face tucked into Dean's neck, deeply content.

 **xxxxx**

As soon as Monster was old enough, Piper took him to get neutered. Dean very casually took the day off, to make sure the cat was all right after surgery. She smiled and kissed him on the cheek, but said nothing.

 **xxxxx**

Piper was sitting on the couch with Dean's head in her lap, running her fingers lazily through his hair. Monster was on Dean's stomach, purring loudly as Dean stroked him.

She looked down at him and smiled. "Hey, our anniversary is coming up. Do you want to do something for it?"

He thought for a while. "Like, uh, like what?"

She shrugged and looked back at the television. "I dunno," she said softly, keeping up the motion her fingers were making through his hair. "Anything you feel like."

There was silence for a while, and she figured he didn't want to do anything, so she dropped it. It wasn't a very big deal to her, she was perfectly happy here no matter what.

"What if I surprise you?" he asked suddenly.

She looked down at him. "Surprise me?" She smiled slowly. "Surprise me with what?"

He grinned. "Kitten, if I tell you, it won't be a surprise."

She thought for a moment, then, "Would we be _going_ somewhere for this surprise?"

"Y… Yes," he said slowly.

She laughed softly. "So you were already planning on surprising me, and I just ruined it?"

He shook his head. "Nah, just less of a surprise now. And yeah, we're going somewhere."

She smiled. "Then I'll say yes on one condition."

 **xxxxx**

"Dean, honey, where are we _going?"_

Dean grinned at the nerves in Piper's voice. She was blindfolded by a handkerchief, sitting in the passenger seat. He could tell she was trying to trust him, but her knuckles were white where she gripped the seat.

"Easy on the leather there, kitten," he murmured, reaching over to place a comforting hand on her knee.

Piper's condition to going somewhere had been that they take the Impala, and Dean was spectacularly happy about it. It was a small risk, but well worth it. How had he always missed the way Piper shivered when the engine roared? It set something predatory in him off. Made him want to pull over and have his way with her on some backroad.

 _Stop it, pervert,_ he told himself severely. Today was for her, not so he could get in her pants. Tonight, of course, was fair game, but today was for Piper.

Dean was never going to be able to put together the words to tell Piper how his sun rose and set on her. Hell half of the time he could barely say, "I love you, too." The words, "you, too" just seemed to fit better in his mouth.

But he could _show_ her.

"Can I take this damn thing off now?"

He grinned. "Not yet, kitten. Almost there."

 **xxxxx**

"Not yet, kitten. Almost there."

Piper huffed, and he laughed. She was excited about whatever he had planned, because she suspected it would be very sweet.

She was also nervous, because her husband was a pervert.

She felt the car slow, then swing wildly into a parking space. She smiled. The Impala had been a good idea. She knew he'd been missing it, and it had put him in an even better mood for today.

"Okay," he said, sounding a little nervous, which was endearing. "We're here."

Before she could pull the blindfold off, he groaned. "This is stupid. Let's just go out to-"

When she heard the keys jingle, she reached out and put a hand on his arm. "Dean, come on," she said softly. "I want to see. Can I take this off now, please?"

He paused, and she let him. If he tried to leave again, she wouldn't stop him. He'd take her to dinner like a normal night. She didn't want him to be uncomfortable, but she did want to see what he had planned.

"All right," he said with a huff. "But try not to laugh."

She felt the handkerchief moving, then it dropped away. She blinked a few times, then looked at where they were. _Then_ she was blinking fast for an entirely different reason.

"Oh, Dean…"

He'd brought her to a carnival, just like the one she'd dragged him to years ago. There were flashing lights and crowds of people and rides…

And a ferris wheel.

"Oh, Dean…"

"Are those good, 'oh, Deans?'" he asked hesitantly.

She nodded, unable to take her eyes away from his gift to her. _"Very_ good."

 **xxxxx**

Dean watched her walk around, her wide eyes taking in everything, with a soft smile. _God, she's pretty._

He couldn't tell her, maybe, but showing her how much he loved her was almost better. Any jackass could stand by her through everything they'd been through, but maybe he was one-upping any other jackass by doing this. Maybe this earned him enough points to come close to deserving her.

She spun and grinned at him. "Dean, this is perfect."

He smiled and wrapped an arm around her when he'd reached her. She leaned into him and beamed up, and he couldn't help but lean down and kiss her gently, enraptured by her.

She kissed back, still smiling when he pulled away. "Ferris wheel?"

He shrugged, a little nervous. "Whatever you want, kitten."

She led the way, her soft hand in his, and he followed. It felt like his whole life, ever since he'd met her at least, Dean had been following Piper.

He paid the skinny kid at the end of the line, and Piper practically bounced into the car. When he got in next to her, she molded herself to him, throwing her legs over his and tucking her head beneath his chin. His arm came around her back to rest on her hip, the other landing on her legs.

"This is perfect, Dean," she whispered.

He smiled. "Glad you like it, Pipes."

They were silent for a while, just being with one another as the little car rose. He crammed his nervousness while it got higher and higher, trying to just focus on Piper.

She leaned up and smiled at him. "This is just like the one we rode. Before the djinn took you."

He nodded and ran his fingers through her hair. "Yeah. Showed me my 'perfect life.'"

She smiled a little and tilted into his hand. "The one without me in it."

He frowned. "Pipes, you didn't honestly believe that."

She examined him for a moment. "What?"

"Piper, you _were_ my perfect life. I mean, yeah, Mom was back, and we weren't hunters. But baby, you were _everything."_ He swallowed hard. "Pipes, you're _still_ everything."

He watched in horror as her eyes filled with tears, then sighed in relief when she tucked her head back into his neck. They were silent for a long time, just being with one another again.

When it got to the top, she pulled back and smiled at him again. He drowned a little in her pretty face before realizing she was speaking.

"I thought you were going to kiss me when we got to the top last time."

He smiled and cupped her cheek, running his thumb along her delicate cheekbone. "I thought so, too. Probably should have."

"Never too late, you know," she said coyly.

He brought her to him and kissed her thoroughly. When she sighed, he swept into her mouth, tilting his head to kiss her deeper and harder. He lost himself in her gratefully, shedding his nerves and everything else he had in him, to just be in her.

Dean would always look back on that exact moment, wrapped up in Piper, on top of a ferris wheel, on the anniversary of their marriage, as perfect. There was darkness to come, but that moment shone through everything as a point of light. On nights when nothing held him together, he held his woman tight and thought about that moment with her.

They were jerked apart by the car stopping. Dean blinked, then grinned as Piper laughed as they simultaneously realized they'd been shamelessly making out like teenagers for damn near the entire ride.

She pressed her hot little lips to his ear. "Let's go home," she whispered, "I want to show you something."

 **xxxxx**

In the front hall, which was as far as they had made it before Piper had pulled Dean down on top of her, she lay on his chest, drawing nonsense pictures on his warm skin with her fingertips. "Happy anniversary," she said softly.

"Hmm," he hummed in response, presumably still unable to speak.

She chuckled. "'Happy anniversary, kitten,'" she mocked gently, pitching her voice low.

He groaned and bucked his hips to put her on her back. "Hush, woman," he muttered against her neck, where he was pressing little kisses. "I'm in a stupor."

She chuckled and tilted her head back. "That's quite a compliment."

"Well, you _definitely_ earned it."

 **xxxxx**

The next morning, Piper was wearing one of Dean's flannels and a pair of her panties, making coffee. Or, she was supposed to be making coffee. Instead, she was standing in the kitchen, coffee pot in one hand, the other stroking Monster's soft head, and staring into the backyard.

She hadn't shared her misgivings with Dean, but she had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. As they rapidly approached the one year anniversary of Sam's death (a thought that was still so painful her mind resisted it), she was worried.

More accurately, she was _terrified._

Terrified that their beautiful, amazing life was more fragile than she'd previously thought. Terrified that something, some terrible force of evil, was going to come careening back into their happy little bubble and ruin it. That the life she so desperately wanted to keep forever was going to shatter before her very eyes.

Tears filled those same eyes, and she sniffled hard, trying to keep it together. _Dean doesn't need this._

True to form, he stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, resting his head on her chin. "What's wrong, kitten?" he asked gruffly, clearly still half asleep.

She leaned back into him. "Just worried."

"Hmm, about what?"

"Everything," she whispered, a tear finally falling down her cheek. "I'm just… Scared. That this won't last, that… That we're about to be dragged back into that life any second here."

"Hey, come on. Where is this coming from, Pipes?" he murmured, pressing a kiss to her temple.

She shrugged. "I just…" She heaved a sigh. "I don't know if I really believe that we get to be happy."

"Quit it," he said sharply. His gentle hands turning her around so he could cup her face and stare down at her took the sting from his words. "You deserve this, Piper. You deserve to be happy."

She smiled and put her hands on his wrists, running her thumbs against the delicate skin on the insides of his arms. "Dean, first of all, _we._ _We_ deserve it. And I know that, but I just don't think we'll _get_ to. I think…" She took another deep, steadying breath. "I think we're not going to get to keep this."

He looked at her for another long moment, then leaned down and kissed her hard. Then he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tight against him. "I'm not gonna let that happen, kitten," he said roughly. "I'm gonna make sure we stay here, all right?"

She nodded and pressed her face into his chest, not believing him and aching desperately to believe him, anyway.

 **xxxxx**

When she went into the bathroom, she looked at the case she kept her birth control in for a long, long time, just thinking.

 _Is it too soon? Will he freak out? Will he hate the idea? What if I'm right? Am I willing to take a chance?_

His words floated through her mind. _I'm gonna make sure we stay here, all right?_

Deciding to put her faith in her husband, she took the little case and put it up into the cabinet, then left the bathroom feeling lighter than she had in years.

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi, beautiful readers! Here are my notes:**  
 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or any of the characters. (heartbroken).**  
 **Reviews, comments, and kudos give me life and keep me going.**  
 **And, as always, thank you for reading, you beautiful, beautiful people.**


	73. I Don't Know

It took him by surprise when Dean saw that Piper's birth control wasn't on the counter. Well, "totally blew him away" was probably a better way to put it.

He only thought for a moment, but it seemed like he thought about everything all at once.

He thought about Piper, carrying his child. He thought about pressing his lips to her swollen belly, about wondering aloud what their baby would be like. He thought about being in the delivery room with her, brushing her damp hair off of her sweaty forehead. Whispering to her how much he loved her, how good she was doing, how beautiful she was. About holding their child, hoping that the baby would have hazel eyes and a happy smile. He thought about Piper as a mother, how well her loving, fierce spirit would fit into that role.

So it only took him a moment to decide to leave the birth control in the cabinet.

He left the bathroom looking forward to the future for the first time in a long, long time.

 **xxxxx**

Piper took a day off without telling Dean to go to the doctor. She just wanted to make sure she was healthy.

"Well!" Dr. McCormick said genially, coming back in after she'd put on her clothes again. "Mrs. Winchester, you're fit as a fiddle!"

She smiled, relieved. "Really?"

He nodded happily. "Yes, ma'am! Your numbers are good. You are a little bit past the prime age, but your levels are those of a woman ten years younger."

She smiled, a little unsure how to take that. But, since it was good news, she decided to really commit to the smile. "That's wonderful!"

He sat in the exam chair. "So, is your husband on board?"

She nodded. "Yes, we're… We're very excited."

He nodded back. "Well, I'm glad you came in for the prelim exam. No such thing as too prepared when it comes to having a baby, I say." He smiled. "When can we expect your husband for his exam?"

She blushed, and he chuckled. "Can I assume, then, that he doesn't know you're here?"

"He knows about the baby, or, at least, _wanting_ a baby," she rushed to explain. "I just…" Piper took a deep breath. "I just wanted to be sure. Before we did anything. That we could."

He gave her a sympathetic look. "Have you tried before? And nothing came of it?"

"No!" she exclaimed, then winced. "Sorry, but no. No, it's just… My husband has been through a lot, Dr. McCormick, and I love him more than anything in the world. I don't want us to try to have a baby, and then have that be one more thing he can't have."

The doctor gave her a gentle smile. "I think, Mrs. Winchester, if he has you, he has plenty."

 **xxxxx**

Piper woke up on the morning of the one year anniversary of Sam's death. The second most important anniversary in her life.

She'd asked if Dean wanted to take the day off, but he'd said no. He didn't want anything to be different than any other day, so she'd agreed. Anything he wanted, anything to help him get through this day.

The alarm went off the same time it always did, but they were both already awake. He reached up to turn it off, then kept his arm around her and stayed where he was. He ran his fingers through her hair, and she leaned into the touch a little.

She looked up at him and smiled gently. "You okay?"

He nodded, but kept his gaze on the ceiling. "Yeah, kitten. You?"

She thought for a moment. "Nope."

He smiled. "Yeah, me either."

She leaned up to press a kiss to the underside of his bearded jaw. "Let's go to work anyway."

 **xxxxx**

Dean couldn't have been more grateful for Piper as he watched her make breakfast. Her hair was pulled back into a short ponytail, and she was humming as she cooked.

He stood and moved to stand behind her, wrapping his arms around her slender waist. "I love you," he whispered into her hair.

He savored the way she leaned back into him. "I love you, too, handsome."

 **xxxxx**

He sent her the picture of the claw marks and blood he'd found in the hotel.

" _Hey, Pipes. Does this look like something to you?"_

" _Come home, Dean. You're sending me pictures of walls, you've lost your mind."_

 **xxxxx**

"I don't know, Pipes! I was walking out of the bar, and I heard a woman scream. I went to investigate, old habits. But there was no one in that building. So I go in further, trying to scope the place, and there's these claw marks and blood." He groaned and ran a hand down his face. "And you're telling me you didn't see anything?"

She shook her head and bit her lip. "No, it's just a picture of a wall when I look at it. So either you're seeing things, or I'm not seeing them."

He nodded. "What do you think is going on?"

She thought for a moment, then shrugged. "I don't know, baby, but we can find out."

 **xxxxx**

"And no one's called about a missing person" Dean asked late that night.

"Well, I could expand the search for the last week-"

"No, this would have been today."

"I'm not seeing anything here."

"So, no reports of anything around Vineland and Oak Street, near that hotel renovation?"

The woman on the other end was silent for a moment. "And why are we looking there, again?"

Dean stifled a groan. "Uh, call it a hunch."

"A hunch," she repeated skeptically.

"I've been a cop for a long time."

"Uh-huh. Well, I'll keep an eye out and do some more digging."

"Okay, yeah."

"Do you want me to email it to you?"

"No, I'll call you tomorrow. Thanks."

Dean hung up and finally let the groan out. He buried his face in his hands. "Fuck."

Piper's small hands on his shoulders had him raising his head. She leaned down and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her cheek to his. "Stop it," she said quietly. "You're not going crazy. This is _something._ We'll figure it out."

He sighed. "Yeah, I guess."

"Well, I _know._ So let's go to bed. We'll call into work in the morning, and get to the bottom of this. Deal?"

He turned his head and kissed her briefly. "Deal, kitten."

 **xxxxx**

The next day, Dean hit the books, and Piper called Bobby.

She fought with herself for a while before she hit the "call" button. Maybe he knew something, maybe he could help, but would he? He had certainly been hiding something at Thanksgiving, but would he still be hiding something?

She wrestled with herself, then hit the button and held the phone to her ear. It rang for several moments, then went to voicemail. She hung up without leaving a message, frowning. "God dammit," she said softly.

She stood and went to the living room where Dean was researching. She stood in the doorway and watched him for a moment. His handsome face was creased in concentration as he read, his eyes moving slowly across the page, absorbing information meticulously.

Her heart ached for him. He didn't want this, he didn't deserve it. She wanted to protect him from this somehow, she wished _she_ was the one who was being affected.

 _You wouldn't have lied to him, though. He'd still be in the thick of it with you._

No, she wouldn't have. But some part of her still wished she could take this away from him.

Instead, she went to him on the couch, sat close enough that they were pressed together hip to knee, and pulled one of the lore books into her lap. If she couldn't face it for him, she would face it with him.

 **xxxxx**

Dean figured out they were facing a djinn. Piper puzzled that it was a different type than they'd faced before. Dean felt a little stupid about being the one the djinn had gotten to, but Piper insisted the creature could pass as human. "It could have been me just as easily."

He approached the garage slowly, anger burning beneath his calm.

God dammit, they were supposed to be _done_ with this. They were supposed to be living a normal life. They'd gone through the grief, through her long silences and his heavy drinking, and they'd come through on the other side. For fuck's sake, they were going to start a _family,_ and now here he was, hunting like nothing had changed at all.

Dean embraced the anger and went inside, gun drawn.

The lights were starting to flicker, so he looked around the garage, tensed for battle.

He didn't think he could be more shocked to be confronted with Azazel.

"Hiya, Dean," the yellow-eyed bastard said with a smirk.

That was all the demon got to say before he grunted. When he looked down, there was the end of a knife sticking out of his chest. The demon dropped, revealing Piper standing behind him, an unreadable expression on her face.

 **xxxxx**

Piper watched the djinn fall dispassionately, unsure of what she was feeling. She was just glad that it was over, she decided.

She gave Dean a shaky smile. "Well, that's that."

"Good job, Pipe," a familiar voice said behind her.

Without thinking, she replied, "Thanks, Sammy."

She felt the blood drain from her face as the words left her mouth. Dean had frozen in the act of standing, so now he was in a sort of crouched position, staring with wide eyes behind her.

Slowly, so slowly, Piper turned around.

There, standing in the opening of their garage, like it was _totally normal,_ was Sam Winchester.

Or, something that _looked_ like Sam Winchester.

Piper pulled the gun from her waistband and pointed it at "Sam," who immediately held his hands up. "What are you?" she asked evenly.

"Pipe, I-"

"You keep my name out of your mouth," she snapped. "I know you're not Sam, so what are you?"

"It's me, Pi-… Uh, it's me."

"Prove it," she demanded. Without turning, "Dean, there's holy water under the sink, and the knife I used on the djinn is silver. Hand it over to… Whatever this is."

"Sam" winced. "I don't love the idea of slicing into myself with a bloody knife."

Piper fought with her temper. "Do you love the idea of being _shot?"_

"Pipes," Dean said quietly from behind her. "There's, a… I have a silver knife under the bed. If… If that's… _Him,_ he's got a point. He could get the poison from the knife."

She fought with herself, then nodded. "Okay. Go get it."

He put a hand on her back, sending comfort through her. "Be careful, baby," he muttered.

She nodded, not taking her eyes off of the man in front of her. "I will."

He pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek, then walked away.

"Sam" was smiling. She would have called it fond, but something about it was… _Off._

"That was sweet," he said softly.

"Shut up," she snapped. "No talking until he gets back."

He held his hands up in surrender, and the gesture was so much like Sam it had her eyes filling with tears. "If…" she swallowed hard. "If you're really Sam, how did you get back?"

He shook his head. "I don't know."

She swallowed hard again. "What do you mean, 'you don't know?' Where did you come back at?"

"That field in Kansas."

"When?"

He was saved from answering by Dean's return. He had a jug of water in one hand and a silver knife in the other. Piper smiled a little. She'd gotten him that knife for his birthday a couple of years ago. She hadn't even known he still had it.

Dean handed them to Sam. Sam sliced into his forearm, then took a swig of the water. When he was done, he just looked at them.

Piper moved first. She holstered her gun, then took two long steps forward and buried her face in Sam's chest.

He smelled like Sam, and he felt like Sam in her arms. He even put _his_ arms around her and held her close, which was a very Sam thing to do.

But when she stepped away to let Dean hug him, she felt a deep disquiet work its way through her. She put it up to shock and shook it off.

She was brought to tears again by the way Dean held his brother. Then Dean stepped back and shook his head. "Wait, wait. You… You were… You were _gone,_ man. I mean, that… That was it. How the hell-"

"I don't know." Sam interrupted.

Dean frowned and met Piper's eyes briefly. "What do you mean, 'you don't know?'"

Sam smirked and looked between the two of them. "You guys are definitely made for each other." His gaze landed on Dean again. "I mean I don't know how I got back. I'm just here."

"And Castiel doesn't know who did it?" Piper asked.

Sam scoffed. "You tell me. I've been calling. Cass hasn't answered my prayers. I don't even know where he is. I mean, I was… Down there, and then, next minute it's raining, and I'm lying in that field, alone." He shrugged. "It's kind of hard to go looking for whatever saved you when you've got no leads. But I looked. I mean, believe me. I looked for _weeks."_

Hurt cascaded through Piper, and she was shocked into silence for a moment. Just a moment, then, _"Weeks?"_ she whispered. "You've… You've been back for _weeks?"_

Dean stepped back and put an arm around her waist. She resisted the urge to lean into him. They would be strong together through this, she wouldn't make him carry her.

"How long have you been back, Sam?" Dean asked coldly.

"About a year."

Piper felt dizzy. "About a _year?"_ she cried, hands flying up to cover her mouth. "You've been back for a year?" she whispered through her fingers.

Sam winced. "Pipe-"

She stepped forward and slapped him across as hard as she could. Her palm stinging, she turned and walked back into the house.

"I don't want to hear it, Sam."

 **xxxxx**

Dean winced when Piper hit Sam, and made no move to stop her when she walked back into the house. He got it. He was angry, too.

He swung to face Sam. "What, did you lose the ability to send a text message? For a _year?"_

Sam was rubbing his face. "You guys were happy, Dean. You had what you wanted."

"What we…" Fury washed through Dean. "Sam, what we wanted was _you,_ alive."

"No, you guys wanted a family. A normal life. You only gave it up because of _the_ life. But you guys… Dean, you and Piper were building something here. Had I shown up, you guys would have just run off. I'm sorry, but you guys deserved some normal."

 **xxxxx**

Piper was staring out the kitchen window into the backyard, stroking Monster, who had jumped into her arms the moment she'd walked in. _Maybe we should get a dog. Monster would like a dog._

Dean's arms around her waist had her closing her eyes in relief. "Sam wants us to go with him. To meet the people he's been hunting with."

She leaned back into him. "Do you want to go?"

He sighed. "I don't know."

She smiled. Piper Winchester knew her husband like the back of her hand. She knew what his answer would be. Even if he didn't.

"Let's go meet them then."

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi, beautiful readers! Here are my notes:**  
 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or any of the characters. (heartbroken).**  
 **Reviews, comments, and kudos give me life and keep me going.**  
 **And, as always, thank you for reading, you beautiful, beautiful people.**  
 ****This chapter hurt to write. I want Dean and Piper to have peace so bad.**


	74. We'll Be in Touch

"Third cousin," Sam said, pointing to Gwen Campbell. "Third cousin," pointing to Christian. "Something something, twice removed," pointing to Mark. He turned back to look at Piper and Dean. "They grew up in the life, like Mom. Like us." He paused and looked at Piper. "Well, like Dean and I. Not you, Pipe."

She smiled tightly, but something was wrong. She didn't know what, but something was _wrong_ with Sam. The way he stood, the way he walked, the way he said, "Pipe." And she didn't know for sure that the Campbells were at fault, but she was looking for someone to blame, and they would work just fine.

Dean was frowning. "I thought all of Mom's relatives were gone. And, I'm sorry, it's just, you know. Why didn't we know about any of you?"

A voice behind them had Piper turning. "'Cause they didn't know about you."

An older bald man stood there, looking at Dean. The way Dean stiffened and paled made Piper suspicious of the newcomer.

"Samuel?" Dean asked, shock coloring his voice.

She frowned. "Like, your grandfather, Samuel?"

Samuel was smiling and approaching Dean. "They didn't know until I brought you all together." He pulled Dean into what looked like a rather uncomfortable embrace. It would have made her laugh if she hadn't been reeling at the implications. _What the hell is going on here?_

Samuel stepped back and looked over at Mark, Christian, and Gwen. "Guys, give me a second with my grandsons here, please."

As they filed out, he turned to look at Piper. She looked back evenly, not moving an inch.

His mouth quirked up at the corner, and he turned to look at Dean again. "Lot of resurrections in your face today. Take a minute."

Dean scoffed. "It's gonna take a little more than a minute. I mean, what the hell? How did this happen?"

Responding to his distress, Piper automatically stepped closer to Dean. She put her hand on his warm back beneath his shirts, offering a touchstone. She noticed both Sam and Samuel observe the movement. Samuel seemed to be cataloging, figuring out who she was, how she and Dean's marriage worked.

Sam's eyes were… Cold. Emotionless. It gave Piper chills.

"We're guessing whatever pulled Sam up pulled me down," Samuel said finally. "So, whatever this is, we're both a part of it."

Piper frowned. "But you don't know what that is?"

"Bingo."

"And you have no leads?" Dean asked incredulously. "Nothing?" Sam and Samuels hook their heads, making Dean exhale sharply. "Well, this… This is, uh…"

"Are there any more?" Piper asked. "Resurrections, I mean?"

Sam shook his head again. "Not as far as we know."

"Okay," Dean snapped. "Are we the only ones here that think this can't all just be _fine?"_

"Believe me, you're not," Samuel said in what was probably supposed to be a soothing manner. It just pissed Piper off. "I wanted to come get you guys, of course. Meet the missus and whatnot. But Sam was adamant about leaving you out, so we did. Until this."

"Okay, so you guys have been tracking the djinn?" Piper asked, looking between Sam and Samuel.

The latter raised his eyebrows and studied her more closely. "Yeah, we think they're out for revenge. Sam here says you staked one a while back. The djinn attacked Sam a few days ago."

Dean frowned. "Then how are you breathing air?"

Sam shrugged. "Samuel had a cure."

It was Piper's turn to raise her eyebrows. "You have a cure for djinn poison?"

Samuel nodded. "I know a few things. Stick around, I'll teach you tricks your daddy never dreamed of."

Piper was _done_ with her grandfather-in-law's attitude. She smiled tightly. "My daddy was an accountant, so I'm sure you will."

Dean slung his arm around her shoulders. "Well, what's the plan? Do you have a plan to kill the sons of bitches who broke into our house?"

"Relax," Christian said from behind Samuel as the three "cousins" filed back in. "We'll handle it. Djinn are hard to draw out. You guys have been out of the game for a while. Leave it to the professionals."

Piper's mouth actually dropped open in outrage. _"Excuse_ me?"

"Little suggestion," Dean snapped, tightening the arm he had around her. "They're easier to draw out when you have bait. They want Piper and I, they know where we live. Now, I know we haven't been hunting for a while, but I'm gonna stick my neck out and guess that's a pretty good place for us to go."

"See?" Piper snarled. "It's almost like we're _professionals."_

 **xxxxx**

Piper _hated_ having the Campbells in her home. She felt exposed and angry. She wanted to kick all of them out, maybe move away and change their names and just _disappear._

But it was _Sam,_ and not only was he alive, he was in trouble. So when Gwen gave her what appeared to be a genuine smile. Piper tried to be sincere in the one she gave back.

"Your house is really nice," Gwen said softly.

 _Try not to be a bitch,_ Piper told herself firmly. "Thank you. We really like it."

Gwen was looking around, and Piper tried to relax as the other woman took in the home she and Dean had worked so hard on. "So, the normal life. Is it weird?"

Piper smiled a little. "It's been the best year of my life."

 **xxxxx**

Dean watched Piper talk to Gwen in the living room from his spot in the kitchen. To anyone but him, his wife looked collected and relaxed. But he saw the tension in her spine and the tightness around her eyes. She didn't like this any more than he did.

"Dude," Sam said from behind him. "Golf?"

Dean turned to see Sam looking at his golf bag with a cocked eyebrow. Dean thought about defending it, but he was more concerned with getting to Piper before she decked someone. His lovely wife had been on edge since they'd laid eyes on Sam, and he wasn't sure how much more her normally very long fuse could take.

So instead, he shrugged. "Yeah, Pipes says I'm pretty good."

Sam looked surprised. "How would she know?"

"Played in high school," Dean replied absently, starting to move out of the kitchen.

Before he could, Samuel was walking in, blocking the way. "Nice house."

Dean sighed. He was never going to get back to Piper at this rate. "Yeah, yeah, go ahead. Call me a soccer mom or whatever."

Samuel chuckled. "'Soccer mom,' huh? Well, I'll have to look that up on the 'intranet.'" He sobered. "You know, believe it or not, I… I get it, Dean. You wanted a normal life. Your mom wanted a normal life, too. You remind me of her, actually. The attitude, or one thing. Your brother tell you what we been dealing with the past few months?"

"No, not really."

Samuel sighed. "I've never seen anything quite like it. Been working 'round the clock."

Dean crossed his arms. If he wasn't going to be able to help Piper, he could get information. "So what's going on?"

A shrug from the burly older man. "We don't know. But whatever it is, it goes way past a couple of djinn acting off. Nocturnals attacking in broad daylight, werewolves out on the half moon, creatures that we've never even seen before. We don't… We don't even know what they are. I'm knee-deep in half-eaten human hearts and exsanguinated ten-year-olds, and it's all making me... Uneasy."

"So what's your theory?"

Another shrug. "You tell me. All we really know is it's all hands on deck. We're counting on each other right now. That's how it is with Campbells." He met Dean's eyes. "We need you, Dean. You and Parker both."

"It's Piper," Dean snapped. Before he could continue, he felt a small, warm hand on his back. Piper stood next to him, looking at Samuel evenly.

"We have bigger problems at the moment," she said softly.

Samuel looked a little irritated when he looked at her, which made Dean's hackles rise. "Such as?"

"The djinn aren't going to come in if you're all in here. Everyone but Dean, Sam, and I have to go."

Dean nodded. "She's right," he said gruffly as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to press a kiss to her temple. "Good thinking, kitten."

Samuel frowned. "So, what? I'm supposed to leave you here with no backup?"

"Piper's right," Sam said, standing next to them. For just a second, it felt like it used to. The three of them against everyone else. Dean, his wife, and his brother, standing up for the world, for everything.

Then Sam spoke again. "They're smart. They'll wait till they weren't outnumbered."

Samuel heaved a sigh, then nodded once, sharply. "All right, we won't be far. You call when they come, you hear?"

 **xxxxx**

Dean was pacing, and Piper knew he was angry at her. So she serenely waited him out, knowing he was close to breaking.

She was proven right when he picked up one of their lamps and tossed it across the living room. _"Fuck!"_

"Dean, sweetheart, it wasn't your fault. It wasn't _our_ fault."

He glared at her where she sat on the couch. "I could have saved Sid. You stopped me, and I could have saved him!" he shouted.

She shook her head unperturbed. "No, you couldn't have. You know that. It's not because we've been out of the game, it's not because of anything we did or didn't do. It's because he wasn't a hunter, and that djinn was willing to kill him to hurt us." She stood and wrapped her arms around his neck, though he was still stiff against her. "Stop, it's done."

"Am I interrupting?"

Sam's voice had her turning to see her tall brother-in-law standing in the doorway. He still made her nervous, and his silent approach hadn't helped at all.

Dean finally wrapped an arm around her and tugged her until they were standing side-by-side. "So, where's Samuel and the rest of them?"

Sam shrugged. "Don't know. They left in a hurry. I'm meeting them back at their place." There was a beat of silence, then, "You, uh, you guys coming with me?"

Before Piper could, Dean answered. "No."

Sam frowned. "I thought you said-"

"I did. I changed my mind."

 _What?_

Piper realized that he was saying no for her. He was saying no for this life they had. Dean Winchester would _never_ leave Sam to hunt by himself, even if it was with "family." He'd rather die than leave Sam alone.

Unless it was for her.

She looked up at her husband. "Dean," she said softly. "We should talk about this."

He kept his eyes on his brother. "Piper, we can't just up and leave," he whispered.

"Why?" she whispered back.

"Look, uh… I'll… Give you some time to think about it," Sam said from the doorway.

Piper blinked. She'd almost forgotten he was there. She put a smile on her face for him, though it wasn't convincing. "Thank you, Sam. We'll be in touch."

He looked at her for a beat, then nodded. "All right. I just, uh… I hope you'll come with."

He turned and walked out.

She followed him out and shut the door behind him, experiencing mixed feelings when he just walked out instead of trying to talk to her again. On the one hand, she was grateful that he hadn't, because he gave her the creeps. On the other hand, it was completely unlike Sam. He would have hugged her or kissed her forehead or any number of affectionate touches. Instead, he just left, got in his nondescript sedan, and drove off.

She flipped the deadbolt and joined Dean again in the living room. He was sitting on their sofa, head in his hands.

"So," she said softly, coming to sit next to him. "Wanna tell me why we're lying to Sam?"

He lifted his head and turned to look at her. "I'm not, Pipes. We can't just up and go."

She tilted her head and reached up to run her fingers through his hair. _Getting long. He needs a haircut before we go._ "Why not?"

"We have a life here, kitten. And you saw me back there. If you hadn't stopped me, I could have gotten all of us killed."

She shrugged. "So you've been sidelined for a while. It'll come back."

His eyes were raw and upset when they met hers. "I don't want it to come back."

She understood. Somehow, they had found some peace here. Sometime between the jobs and the block parties and the loving one another, they had carved out a home for themselves. And here was the world, threatening to snatch it away again.

But she also understood her husband, so she smiled. "I know. But we're going. We were _always_ going." She stood and put her hands on her hips. "I think it should only take a couple of weeks to get everything sorted out. We can put notice in on Monday, and let the landlord know we're breaking the lease."

He stood next to her, and she turned and smiled gently at him. "Shouldn't be too hard."

He was staring down at her. "What do you mean, 'always?'"

She frowned. "What?"

"What do you mean, 'we were always going?"

She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing her flush against him, and savored the way he wrapped his arms around her automatically. "Dean, it's _Sam,"_ she said softly. "As soon as we saw him, we were going. It's _Sam,_ he's your _brother."_

He just looked at her for a moment, then pressed his lips to her forehead. "I'm so sorry, kitten," he whispered roughly.

She just held him. "Stop, it's okay. I know."

 **xxxxx**

The next day, Piper wasted no time.

It was a Sunday, so she spent the day going through their things, separating what they needed, what had to be tossed, and what could be donated ("Dean, we can't just throw everything away, people could use this stuff!"). His wife, being a hero even when they weren't saving the world.

Dean watched her all day, helped when she asked, and in general stayed in awe of her. She wasn't angry, upset, or crying. She just looked determined.

In the middle of the day, she was in the living room, sifting through boxes. She was wearing tank tops and shorts, her hair wrapped up in a handkerchief. She was frowning.

"How the hell did we get this much crap? We've only lived here for a year."

He was overwhelmed by her, _again._ There were a hundred things he wanted to say to her. To apologize for, to beg her forgiveness for, to grovel for. She was the sun his world revolved around, and here he was, dragging her away from happiness. _Again._

But she wouldn't want to hear it. So instead, he came to stand behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She leaned back against him and lifted the blanket she had in her hands. "Where did we even _get_ this?"

He pressed a kiss to the side of her neck. "Don't know."

He smiled against her when she tilted her head for him. "Well, it's ridiculous. There's a lot to go through here, honey."

He nodded, but put his hands on her hips and pulled her snug against him. "Yeah."

Her breath caught, and victory made him smile again. "Dean, we have too much to do."

"Yep." He ground himself against her ass, just a little, making her whimper.

She dropped the blanket and turned in his arms to smile up at him. "Well, maybe just a _little_ break."

He wrapped his arms around her and lifted until she put her legs around his waist. "That's what I thought."

 **xxxxx**

That night, before they went to bed, she went to the bathroom to brush her teeth. When she did, she took her birth control out of the cabinet and looked at it carefully. The brush slowed in her mouth, then she took it out and spit, still looking at the little case.

She carefully put it on the counter and left the bathroom with a broken heart.

 **xxxxx**

Dean went into the bathroom to take a shower before bed. He stilled when he saw the little case on the counter.

It was the right thing to do. Kids weren't an option for a hunter. They were a liability, and God forbid, they could get hurt.

So he left it on the counter and got in the shower. He never told Piper about the time he spent crying.

 **xxxxx**

She quietly started taking birth control again, and children wouldn't be brought up again for years.

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi, beautiful readers! Here are my notes:**  
 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or any of the characters. (heartbroken).**  
 **Reviews, comments, and kudos give me life and keep me going.**  
 **And, as always, thank you for reading, you beautiful, beautiful people.**  
 ****Hi, I'm back! I'm sorry about such a long time between updates. My work had a big fundraiser (which was a HUGE success), but it made my mental state a total wreck. Then a friend of mine has been going through something really rough, and I've been trying to be there for her. THEN I finished two of my stories, and they straight up drained all of my creativity. But I'm back, and I missed the hell out of you guys! 3**


	75. Let's Go, Anyway

It took them a week and a half to get rid of everything.

Piper was still shocked at how much _stuff_ they had accumulated in just a year. She clung to the emotion, because underneath it, there was depression and pain and fear. She didn't want to get rid of their things. She didn't want to move. She wanted to stay where they were, she wanted to accumulate too much stuff, watch too much TV, and...

Instead, she drove a truck with the majority of their belongings to the local thrift store and donated almost their whole life.

When she got back, Dean was sitting on the floor in the middle of the living room. She closed the door behind her and went to sit next to him silently. He lifted his arm and slid it over her shoulders, and she leaned into his warm side. "Doing all right, Winchester?" she asked.

"I don't know," he replied softly, holding her tight against him.

"Yeah, me, too."

 **xxxxx**

Before they called Sam, they went to Sioux Falls.

When Bobby opened the door, Piper had to stem the urge to hit him. She'd never particularly wanted to hit him before, but it wasn't hard to figure out what he'd been hiding from her. For a _year._

"Damn it," he said gruffly.

She smiled tightly. "Hi, Bobby." She raised the pet carrier in her hand. "This is Monster. Get used to him, he lives here now."

He frowned as she pushed past him. Dean was silent behind her, carrying their bags.

"What the hell is Monster?" Bobby snapped, shutting the door behind them.

"My cat," she said serenely. "And he lives here now."

"I don't want a fucking cat."

She turned. "Well, I don't want you to have lied to me about Sam being alive for an entire year, but sometimes we have to deal with things we don't want."

Bobby heaved a sigh as Dean chuckled humorlessly behind her. "Look, Pi," the older man said resignedly, "I didn't like it, but I'd do it again."

She raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms. _"Would_ you, now? Why the hell is that?"

"Because you kids got out, Piper!" he insisted. "You walked away from the life. And I was so damn grateful, you got no idea."

"Do you have _any_ clue," Dean snarled from next to her, "what walking away meant for us?"

Bobby nodded. "Yeah. You got jobs and a life and not getting your fool selves killed at age thirty. That's what it meant."

Piper held an arm out to stop her husband from advancing. "Do you have any idea what it did to us? How long it took for us to even reach some _semblance_ of normality?" She took a step forward, and now it was Dean stopping her with a hand fisted in the back of her jacket. "How long Dean drank? How long I cried? How long and hard we _searched_ for how to get Sam out? How long it took for us to finish _grieving?_ How _dare_ you make that decision for us?!"

She was shouting and shaking by the end of it. Dean came forward and wrapped an arm around his shoulders to bring her back against him.

Bobby was frowning. "You told Sam you'd leave it alone."

"Of course we didn't leave it alone," Dean said quietly, dangerously. "You left us to stew for a whole fucking year? You couldn't put us out of our misery?"

"Look, I get it wasn't easy," Bobby said placatingly, "but that's life! And it was as close to happiness as I've ever seen a hunter get. It ain't like I wanted to lie to you kids. But you were _out."_

Piper smiled sadly. "Well, that didn't last long, did it?"

 **xxxxx**

Dean was helping Piper hang their clothes back up in their old room when his phone rang. He read the display and flipped it open. "Sam."

"I need your help. Now."

Dean frowned and looked at Piper, who was tilting her head and looking at him with an eyebrow cocked. "What's wrong?" he asked into the phone.

"I'm working this job. Bring Piper."

 _As if I wouldn't._

 **xxxxx**

Piper was apprehensive when they pulled up behind Sam's little sedan. It was so _weird_ that Sam was driving separately. That they had to _meet_ him somewhere.

Dean parked the Impala and took a deep breath. He looked over at her. "Ready for this?"

"What is this, exactly? Did he say what it was about?"

"No," he said as he checked his gun and put it in his waistband. It was not a sight she had missed, and her heart ached. "Let's go, anyway."

She got out on her side and shut the door. She smiled at Sam, who had just gotten out of his own car. "Hi, Sam."

"Hi."

"What's this about? What's the case?" Dean asked testily as she came around to stand next to him in front of Sam.

"Strapped down in the backseat," Sam said vaguely.

Piper frowned, walked up to look into the back window, and her mind went completely and absolutely blank with shock.

"Sam," she said softly, smiling down at the baby in the backseat. "What the _fuck?"_

"Welcome to the party," he said dryly.

She rolled her eyes and opened the car door, crouched, and unbuckled the baby. She lifted him out of the car and held him, smiling down at him. "Sam, I repeat," she said, still cooing at the baby. "Where the _fuck_ did you get a baby?"

"Probably shouldn't cuss in front of it," Sam said with a chuckle.

Dean came to stand next to her, his face slack. "Sam, where… What… What did you drag us into?"

Sam shrugged and joined them. On instinct, Piper subtly shifted away from him with the baby. She smiled up at him to cover, but stayed closer to Dean. Some fierce part of her didn't want Sam anywhere near the little one in her arms.

"Dunno," Sam was saying. "Whatever it was that took the kid, it was fast and it freaked when I cut it with silver."

Dean nodded and held a finger up to the boy. The baby cooed and grasped it. Piper's heart seized, and she tried hard to keep her mind on the conversation and not the ache in her chest.

"So that narrows it down to…" Dean trailed off.

"Ghouls, shifters, about a dozen other monsters," Piper said firmly. It was just a touch too loud, and Sam gave her a strange look. Dean, however, gave her a knowing one and pressed a kiss to the side of her head before continuing.

"I don't recall seeing babynapping in any of those profiles."

Sam scoffed. "Yeah, exactly. That's why I need you guys." He started back to the car. "Come on, let's go."

Piper frowned. "Sam, where's the diaper bag?"

The tall hunter turned and frowned at her. "What?"

"The bag. Full of diapers. And all the rest of what you need for a baby."

Sam frowned. "What do you need for a baby?"

 **xxxxx**

After the disaster at the supermarket, they got a motel room to regroup. Well, Sam was regrouping. Dean was trying to think about anything but Piper holding that damn kid.

She came out of the bathroom with Bobby John wrapped in a towel in her arms. He could tell that she was hurting, too, by the careful mask she kept on her pretty face. But he'd be damned if he knew how to help her. He was barely keeping it together himself.

Her soft smile told him that she knew what he was thinking. She bounced the baby in her arms and looked between Dean and Sam. "All right, what's the plan, gentlemen?" she asked as she walked Bobby John over to the crib they'd gotten from management and laid him down.

Sam was staring at her in a way that made Dean's hackles rise. _Been happening a lot lately. Getting possessive in my old age._

"You're really good at that, Pipe," Sam said, not taking his eyes off of her.

She was smiling down into the crib. "Thank you," she said gently, moving a blanket up to partially cover the baby.

"You guys would probably make pretty good parents."

Dean physically flinched as pain lanced through his heart. He stood and went to Piper, placing a hand on her warm back for comfort. She smiled up at him wanly, then looked back at Sam. "Do we have any idea what to do next?" she asked, pretty blatantly ignoring Sam's comment.

Dean watched his brother look back at the laptop screen in front of him. "Yeah, actually, I missed something the first time. This house on Elm. The mother was killed, baby was grabbed, but daddy wasn't living at the house at the time, so he's alive." He looked back up at them. "What do you guys say we go and have a chat?"

Dean nodded, relieved to have a direction to move in instead of wallowing in pain and regret here. "I say let's."

The baby cooed in his sleep, and all three of them looked over at him. Piper was the first to look away. "I'll stay here, you guys go."

Dean frowned. "You sure, kitten?"

"Well, unless you have a badge for the baby, yes, I'm sure."

 **xxxxx**

Piper lay on her back on her and Dean's bed, thinking about how fitting her situation was. _What better way to get back into hunting than to have to take care of a baby two days after you start taking birth control again?_

She was shaken from her dark thoughts by a muffled _thud_ and a wet _splat,_ followed by Bobby John starting to wail. Her head snapped up and her eyes widened when she saw clear mucus and what looked like flaps of skin on the wall above the crib. She shot off the bed and was across the room in an instant, horror making her heart stop. When she got there, however, her heart started up again, galloping in her chest.

"What. The. _Fuck?"_ she whispered as she stared down at what was now a black baby crying in his _(its?)_ crib.

Unable to resist Bobby John's distress, she took the towel she'd used before, wiped him off, and wrapped him up in his blanket before taking him into her arms. "Shh, little one," she cooed as she pulled her phone out of her back pocket and dialed her husband's number. "Shh, I've got you, Aunt Piper's got you, little one."

The phone rang a few times before Dean picked up. "Pipes?"

"Dean, I have news."

"Yeah, me, too."

"You first."

"We talked to the father. He checks out, but the baby… We think the baby's dad might actually be the shapeshifter."

"You know, I have a sneaking suspicion that you're correct."

 **xxxxx**

She had the baby mostly calmed down when there was a knock at the door. "Manager! Everything okay in there?"

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but her voice was light when she answered. "Oh, we're fine! Thank you!"

"Ma'am, we've had some complaints. Mind opening the door?"

She put the baby back into the crib slowly, then grabbed her knife and stood to the side of the door. "Not a good time, I'm sorry!"

The doorknob rattled, and a few moments later she heard the distinct _thunk_ of the lock disengaging. The door swung open and the shapeshifter, disguised now as a police officer, entered the room.

Piper slashed at the creature with her knife, then grappled with him. She was careful to keep herself between it and the baby as they fought.

"Get out of the way," it snarled.

"Not a chance," she snapped. They had separated, now just staring each other down, chests heaving. Her lip was bloodied, and she felt a bruise starting to form on her ribs. But it also had several deep slashes in its arms and chest, and she had caught it across the cheek, too. _Ha._

"The child should be with his father."

She smiled humorlessly. "Well, to be honest, I'm not seeing very much in the way of family resemblance."

"I'm not just talking about me," the thing in front of her said, its voice low and dangerous. "I'm talking about _our_ father."

It lunged for her as soon as the last word was out of its mouth, and adrenaline made everything slow down enough that she could assess her situation. She let it hit her and then rolled back with it, dropping her weight onto the floor. As fast as she could, she got her legs underneath it and _kicked,_ praying that its momentum and her strength would be sufficient.

It was. The creature went flying out the window of the motel room with a tinkling, delicate _crash!_ She jumped to her feet and ran to what _used_ to be glass. The creature was lying on its back, just barely starting to stir.

Heavy footsteps had her looking over to see the Winchester brothers running toward her. "Piper!" Dean shouted, skidding to a stop in front of the window.

She pointed. "Shoot it!"

Dean was still staring at her, his hands tracing her face. "Piper, are you all right?"

A low popping sound had her looking around her husband to Sam, who was standing over the shifter with a gun in his hand. He looked up to see her looking at him, and he nodded. "Got it."

Dean's gentle hand on her chin had her looking back at him. He was frowning. "Are you all right?"

She nodded, troubled for some indefinable reason. "Yeah, yeah, I'm okay. He… It came for the baby. Dean, we have to get him somewhere safe while we figure out what to do."

"Samuel," Sam said as he joined them at the window. "Samuel will know what to do."

 **xxxxx**

Dean had an arm around Piper, who was holding Bobby John, and he was trying hard not to glare at his family.

Gwen came by and smiled at the baby. "Well, aren't you just the best disguise a monster ever wore?"

Piper started a little, and Dean smothered the urge to growl. Gwen rolled her eyes. "I'm kidding, guys, relax."

Sam and Samuel came in, but Dean couldn't find it in him to be relieved. Sam was giving him the willies, Samuel was giving him the willies, and he was finding more and more that the only person he trusted was Piper.

"What's our next move?" Sam was asking.

"I got a couple of ideas," Samuel said. He reached to Piper. "Here, let me see the little guy."

Dean opened his mouth to protest, but Piper kicked him a little. "Be careful," she said softly, "he's a little weepy still from the change."

Samuel took him in his arms and smiled kindly at her, which was more warmth than he'd shown her so far, so Dean did find himself relaxing minutely despite himself. "Will do," Samuel said before turning the baby in his arms and looking at him. "Hey, there. You're a big fella, aren't you? Yeah. I haven't held one of these in a long time." He met Dean's eyes. "Your mom was the tiniest. She was bald as a cue ball."

Dean didn't know what to do with that, so he ignored it. "So what are we going to do with him?"

"Raise him," Samuel said simply.

"Raise him?" Piper asked.

He looked over at her. "You've got another suggestion?"

She shook her head. "No, he'll be safest here with you guys."

Dean frowned. "What about… I mean, what are we gonna do? Study him? Poke at him?"

Piper kicked him again, but Dean ignored her because Christian was frowning, stepping forward. "Your mind goes straight to torture, Dean. Don't assume that for everyone."

Dean saw red, but he was more focused on Piper tensing beside him. "What exactly are you trying to say?" Dean growled.

Christian shrugged, a smug look on his face. "Sorry, I heard about what you majored in down in the pit."

Before Dean spoke, Piper moved. He grabbed for her, but she was _fast,_ and she had punched Christian across the face before Dean could get her. He grabbed her around the waist and hauled her away. He could tell from her stance she wasn't done, and he was proven right by the way she kicked and fought against him. "Let me go!" she hissed. She looked at Christian. "You deserve a _hell_ of a lot more than that, how _dare_ you?"

"Piper, chill, kitten," Dean muttered, keeping his hold on her and stepping away from the other man.

Christian looked at Sam, still holding his face. The blood on his lips made Dean swell with pride a little bit. _That's my girl._

"What the fuck, man?" Christian snarled. "What did you bring in here?"

Sam shrugged. "You deserved that."

"All right, everyone chill out," Samuel snapped. Dean kept a tight hold on Piper, who was still struggling against him as Samuel continued. "No one's _doing_ anything to him. When he's old enough, we throw it to him. He wants a volunteer to help out, that's fine."

Mark was smiling. "Could be great."

Dean frowned. "How?"

"Think of the kind of hunter he'll grow up to be."

Dean blinked. "You all are _joking,_ right? I mean, come on! You can't Angelina Jolie a shapeshifter. Give us the baby."

Instead, Samuel turned a baleful stare onto Dean, who stood his ground. "Why can't you give me an inch of trust, Dean?"

"Maybe because you two are suddenly back from the dead, and my wife and I seem to be the only ones who want to know how the hell that happened!"

"Dean," Piper said severely from his arms, before anyone else could respond. "Everyone wants to know what happened, it's not just us."

"Yeah," Sam said evenly.

"Well, there's just a little too much mystery with this family for me to get comfy," Dean snapped.

"Then don't!" Samuel snapped back. "But don't put it on us. All we're trying to do is invite you in. Christian?"

The other man was working his jaw, giving Piper the stinkeye. "Yeah?"

"You and Arlene. Still no luck on the baby front?"

Christian stiffened. "Not yet."

"But you want one?"

Christian sighed. "Yeah, we do."

Piper stiffened. "Wait a goddamn minute-"

"It's okay, Pipe," Sam said soothingly. "It's all right."

Samuel walked over and handed Bobby John to Christian. "Congrats. It's a boy. Sometimes."

Christian chuckled a little and took the baby. "The shit I do for this family."

"Are you _kidding_ me?" Piper snarled. "You have no business raising _anything."_

"Go to hell, bitch," Christian snarled.

Piper started to struggle against Dean's hold again. Her temper was shot, she was stressed and tired and sad. All Dean wanted to do was take her away and hide her from this. He opened his mouth to suggest just that, that maybe he and his wife were not only not welcome, but didn't want to be there, when dogs started barking outside.

Piper stilled as Samuel spoke. "Someone go check the back door."

Christian handed the baby to Samuel, who turned and gave him back to Piper. "Downstairs," he said urgently, "Panic room. He'll be safe there. Go!"

 **xxxxx**

Later, after the Alpha shifter took the baby, and Samuel and Sam explained what the hell an Alpha really was, they drove back to Bobby's in relative silence. Piper let her head rest on Dean's shoulder as she thought. As much as she didn't want to be back hunting, it was nice being in Baby again.

"How you holdin' up?" he asked gently.

She shrugged. "Tired. My ribs hurt, and so does my face. And I'm…"

She hadn't mentioned her misgivings about Sam to Dean yet. They hadn't really had time, and she was wondering if it was maybe in her head.

"Creeped the hell out by Sam?" he guessed.

When she looked up to nod, she realized why she'd been so disturbed when they had come to kill the shifter after she'd tossed it out the window.

Dean had come immediately to her, checking to make sure she was okay.

Sam had never even asked.

 _Something's wrong._

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi, beautiful readers! Here are my notes:**  
 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or any of the characters. (heartbroken).**  
 **Reviews, comments, and kudos give me life and keep me going.**  
 **And, as always, thank you for reading, you beautiful, beautiful people.**  
 ****You know, I think this is where Piper might start changing things in a big way.**


	76. Ghosts With an Ego

Early the next morning, Piper was cooking breakfast with Monster at her feet when Bobby came in.

The situation felt very… Familiar, comfortable. She may not have known what the hell was going on with Sam, or where Cass was, or what to think about the Alpha thing, but she _did_ know how to cook breakfast for her family in Bobby's kitchen.

 _This is the closest thing I have to my own kitchen now,_ she thought mournfully as she stirred the waffle batter.

"Mornin'," Bobby muttered warily.

Piper sighed, just a little, and totally gave up on any anger she had for her father. She loved him, and her recent experiences with a child she'd known for about twenty hours had given her some perspective. One would do strange, seemingly thoughtless things to protect one's child, and she and Dean were Bobby's.

On top of that, she had too many other things to worry about to be mad at him.

So she turned and smiled. "Morning. Coffee's ready."

She turned back to pour the first waffle as Bobby made himself a cup. "Dean still in bed?"

She nodded. "Yeah, he is. We, um, we kind of got into the habit of sleeping in a little." She smiled sadly. "I'm sure we'll get over that soon enough."

They both let an awkward silence pass before Bobby spoke again. "Look, Pi. I'm sorry that you guys got dragged back into this. I know… Well, I got the impression you were doing all right, living the life."

She took in a deep, shaky breath, then let it out explosively. This was what she had needed. Just acknowledgement of what she and Dean had lost. The Campbells had all been hunters since childhood, so none of them had understood. But Bobby knew, both from experience and from seeing them, that they had had something good.

So she smiled for real for the first time in days. "Thank you, Bobby. I needed that."

He leaned in to kiss her on the cheek, then went to grab the paper and sit at the kitchen table with it and his coffee.

When the first waffle was ready, she absent-mindedly prepared it the way Bobby liked it. Her organized brain, wasted on serving jobs for the last year, was kicked into high gear now. She ran through the list of things that needed to be done as she set breakfast down in front him.

He looked surprised. "You didn't have to do that."

She smiled, distracted. "My pleasure."

 _Surely he took care of it. He's not just walking around without it._

Nonchalantly, "Bobby, you got your soul back from Crowley, right?"

 **xxxxx**

Piper sat in stunned silence when Bobby was done telling her about his soul. How Crowley wouldn't return it, and about Bobby finding out that burning a demon's bones would, in fact, kill them. Even about Crowley becoming the king of hell.

"That rat bastard," she breathed out.

"Who?" Dean's sleepy voice had her turning in her chair. He was leaning in the doorway, rubbing his face with one hand.

Her heart thumped hard in her chest. Her poor, handsome husband hadn't slept well the night before. The result of all the new concerns they had now, she thought. The Alphas, the Campbells, and the ever-present worrying about Sam.

So she stood and went to him, taking his face into her hands and rising up to press her lips to his. His hands settled at her waist and held her close. His heat made her feel sheltered as it seeped into her and his mouth moved against hers. She pulled away and smiled up at him. "Breakfast?"

He nodded and kissed her forehead. She turned to make him a waffle, wishing she could let him have a few minutes of peace, knowing he wouldn't let her.

True to form, "Who's a rat bastard?"

"Crowley," Bobby answered. "Son of a bitch still has my soul."

Without turning around, Piper heard the frown in Dean's voice. "What?"

"Some fine print bullshit."

"Well, what are we gonna do?"

Piper smiled. "I'll come up with something," she said confidently as she poured the batter for Dean's breakfast. "We're getting that damn soul back."

 **xxxxx**

Piper found the information about Crowley's son, and called Sam to get the ring from the museum in Andover. He apologized profusely for forgetting about Bobby's soul. She hung up with more questions about her brother-in-law than ever. Dean had gone with him, also suspicious.

It must have shown on her face, because Bobby frowned when he sat across from her and handed her a cup of coffee. "Somethin' wrong, kiddo?"

She sighed. "I don't know. I think…" she stopped herself and shrugged. "This can wait until we have your soul back."

He shook his head. "Looks to me like we got some downtime. What's on your mind?"

She kept her gaze down on her coffee. "I don't know. It's just… Something is wrong with Sam, Bobby. Something _huge."_

His brow furrowed. "Like?"

"I mean… How often did he contact you in the year we were gone?"

"Not a lot."

"Exactly." She ran a hand through her hair. "That's not like Sam at all. And, I…" She took a deep

breath, feeling her cheeks flush in embarrassment. "This sounds really selfish, but when the shifter attacked me, he didn't… Um, he didn't ask if I was okay."

 **xxxxx**

"Um, he didn't ask if I was okay."

That, more than anything that had come from his daughter's mouth, gave Bobby pause.

"I know it's dumb," she rushed to explain, her pretty cheeks pinkening. "I'm really not that self-centered, it's just, I mean, he usually _checks_ on me, and I, I mean it's not like I… Oh, I don't know," she finished, groaning and burying her face in her hands.

Bobby thought carefully for a few moments.

Despite their self-sacrificing ways, despite the tight unit they had established before she had come, Piper had always been the center of their family. She'd been worrying Bobby, messing with Sam, and driving Dean to distraction since she'd walked onto the salvage yard behind John Winchester, skinny and traumatized and angry.

Bobby would have _died_ for Piper in a heartbeat, should the occasion call for it. And God knew Dean had come close more than once to throwing himself in front of the bullet for her. And Bobby would have sworn that Sam was the same. He _knew_ that Sam was the same.

Something was wrong. If he wasn't making sure that she was all right, like all three of them had been making sure she was all right since they'd met her, something was wrong.

She gave him a smile. "Look, just… I mean, just think about it for me? Make sure I'm not crazy when you talk to him. Something's _off."_

He nodded. "I will, Pi. And don't worry, you're not crazy. If you think something's wrong, something's definitely wrong."

 **xxxxx**

The brothers got back late that night. Piper knew Dean had the creeps by tightness in his shoulders, the quick way he walked, and the way he made sure to stay between her and Sam.

Sam didn't seem to notice. "All right, we've got the ring. What now?"

"We summon Crowley's kid," Bobby said simply, eyeing the tallest Winchester. "Get what we need from him."

 **xxxxx**

Piper was frowning up at him, and Dean was having a hard time standing his ground. "No."

"You don't get to tell me what to do," she snapped.

He tilted his head back and groaned. "I know I don't, kitten, this isn't about that." He looked back down and cupped her lovely face in his hands. "Pipes, we have to _fly._ To _Scotland."_ He sighed. "I don't want you on a plane with him for nine hours."

She frowned. "You'll be with us."

He shook his head. "Even then, I don't want you there."

There was real fear in her hazel eyes now. "You… You don't trust him _that_ much?"

He pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head, hating that he was scaring her. "No. Not with you, Pipes."

She burrowed into him, and he relished the way it made him feel. No matter what was going on in their sometimes terrible life, when she tucked herself into his arms that way, it made him feel strong. Like he could protect her, like he could shelter her from whatever danger was coming their way. It was one of the thousands of reasons he adored her, her ability to make him feel that way.

"Okay," she said softly into his chest. "I'll stay here, if you want." She leaned back a little to look up at him. "Will you be all right? On the plane?"

He kissed her thoroughly. "I'll figure it out."

 **xxxxx**

The next afternoon, after she received a terse text from Dean, letting her know they were in position, Piper finished the summoning spell and watched Crowley appear.

Bobby smirked when they saw the rumpled, annoyed condition Crowley was in. "Well, you look like hammered crap."

Crowley sneered. "And you're a vision." He looked over at Piper, and smiled a little. "You really _do_ look lovely, as always, peach. _Love_ the hair."

She nodded without smiling. "Thank you."

Crowley looked up to see the devil's trap painted on the ceiling, then back to Bobby. "Don't we both know how this game ends? Really, you gotta know when to fold 'em."

"Word on the street is," Bobby said evenly, "that ever since Lucifer went to the pokey, you're the big kahuna downstairs."

Crowley nodded, eyebrows raised. "I see you've been reading the trades."

Piper smirked. "Ruling not the delight you thought it would be?"

The demon sighed. "Peach, dear, you… Have _no_ idea." He walked over to the table that was within the trap and poured himself a glass of scotch. "I thought… When I got the corner office..." He took a drink. "I thought it was all going to be rainbows and two-headed puppies." He sighed and met her gaze. "If I'm being honest, it's been hell."

Bobby scoffed. "I thought that was the point."

Crowley slammed the rest of the drink and placed the glass back down. "You know what the problem with demons is?"

"They're demons?" Piper guessed.

"Exactly," Crowley snapped. "Evil, lying prats. The whole lot of them." He was pacing, gesturing wildly. "And _stupid._ Try to show them a, a new way, a _better_ way. And what do you get? Bugger all!" He took a deep breath. "You know, there's days that I think Lucifer's whole 'spike anything with black eyes' plan wasn't half bad." He smiled a little and looked over at Piper. "Hmm. Feels good to get it off my chest. We should make this a thing."

Bobby was scowling. "Do I look like Dr. Phil to you?"

"A little," Crowley said with a smirk. Then he looked over to Piper. "But I was speaking to the peach."

She wrinkled her nose. "Quit calling me that."

Crowley ignored her. "Obviously, I'm not here for a social call. So on with it."

"I want-" Bobby began.

Crowley held a hand up to interrupt. "Save you the recap. In fact I'll do the shorthand for you." He pointed to Bobby and made his voice low and gravelly. "'I want my soul back, idjit.'" He pointed to himself and spoke normally. "'Fraid not." Back at Bobby, back to gravelly. "'But I'm surly and I got a beard. Gimme!'" The demon rolled his eyes. "Blah, blah, blah. Homespun cornpone insult, witty retort from yours truly. The bottom line is, you get bubkes, and the lovely Mrs. Winchester continues to look lovely." He smiled and raised his eyebrows. "Are we done?"

Piper smiled. "Oh, we're just getting started."

She looked over to her left and the ghost of Gavin, Crowley's son, appeared. When she looked back at Crowley, who appeared to be startled. "Gavin? Is that you. It's… It's been so long. I love you so-"

Piper rolled her eyes when Crowley started to laugh. "Sorry," the demon said with a smile, "Your soul for my boy, is that it? I've got to give you credit for thinking outside the box on that one, I suspect it was Piper's idea. But the problem is, I loathe the little bastard. You want to torture him?" he waved his hand carelessly. "Just let me pull up a chair and watch. Hell, burn his bones and send him down to me and we can have a family reunion." He looked at Gavin again. "That right, son?" He smiled evilly at Bobby. "You picked the wrong bargaining chip this time, my friend."

It was Piper's turn to chuckle a little. "Not a bargaining chip, Crowley."

"I was just using him to dig up dirt on _you,"_ Bobby said cheerfully.

"And since Gavin hates _you_ maybe even more than you hate _him,"_ Piper said with a smile, "he was more than happy to tell us whatever we wanted to know."

Crowley started to snarl. "What did you tell them, son?"

Gavin's ghost smiled wickedly. "Everything." He flickered away.

"We know everything now, _Fergus,"_ Piper said softly, approaching the king of hell, but not going into the devil's trap. "You may be the king now, but in life, you were just a tailor."

"Who sold his soul in exchange for an extra three inches below the belt," Bobby said smugly.

Crowley winked at Piper. "Just trying to hit double digits." He looked over at Bobby. "So, you got a glimpse behind the curtain. And?"

"And now," Bobby said slowly, "I know where you're planted."

Piper tossed a burner phone they'd picked up to the demon, who caught it, stared at her for a beat, then put it toward his ear.

She heard her husband's voice over the phone, and some part of her yearned for him. He'd been gone less than twenty-four hours, but he was with his shady younger brother, and across the world, and she hated it.

"Dean," Crowley said genially, "It's been a long time. We should get together."

She only heard Dean's voice, not his words, so she only got Crowley's side of the conversation.

"Back?"

The demon looked anxious. Then, "A kilt." Another wink to Piper. "I had very athletic calves. What's the game?"

Crowley looked at Bobby after a few more muffled words from Dean. "This is ridiculous. The whole burning bones thing. It's a myth."

Bobby shook his head. "I know an employee of yours who would disagree."

Crowley sighed. "That's where she got to."

"You know," Piper said thoughtfully, "You guys, demons, you think you're something special. But at the end of the day, you're nothing but twisted, perverted spirits. Ghosts with an ego."

Bobby's face was set in a mask of determination. "We torch your bones, you go up in flames."

There was a noise over the phone, and Crowley looked down at it, irritated. Dean's voice, still smothered by distance and a bad connection.

"Your bones or my soul," Bobby said softly.

"Going once…" Piper said, just as quiet. "Going twice…"

Crowley tossed the ground on the phone, exasperated. "Bollocks."

He raised his hand, and Bobby held out his arms to show Piper the terms of his contract appearing on them. Crowley moved his hand, and the text started to disappear.

"Leave his legs alone, Crowley," Piper said coldly, "Or you will be nothing more than smoke before you can say, 'read the fine print.'"

The demon rolled his eyes, but when the contract was finally gone, Bobby was still standing. Piper nodded sharply, satisfied.

"Pleasure doing business with you," Bobby said evenly.

"Now, if you don't mind," Crowley said with a glare at the hunter, then looked up at the devil's trap on the ceiling.

Piper dragged a chair over, pulled the knife from her belt, and stood on tiptoe to scrape the paint off. When she was done, she came back down onto her heels. The chair rocked beneath her, and she squeaked as she fell.

Strong arms caught her against a chest that smelled like sulfur, smoke, and good, expensive liquor. She looked up wide-eyed at Crowley, who set her down gently, with a smirk on his face. "Careful, peach. Wouldn't want to hurt that pretty behind."

Then he disappeared.

She frowned at Bobby. "What the hell was that about?"

Bobby shrugged. "We've got him by the short and curlies, Pi. We can't take anything he says seriously."

Piper frowned, but didn't argue. She was unsettled by the brief exchange with the king of hell, but there were more important things, like the fact that her husband was still a nine hour and one very stressful plane ride away from her.

She walked over and picked up the phone. "Dean?"

"What the hell happened? Why was Crowley talking about your ass?"

She smiled a the jealous possessiveness in her husband's voice. "I just fell and he caught me, Dean. It was no big deal. Here, talk to Bobby, then get yourself home."

She handed the phone over, ignoring Dean's irritated mumbling. Bobby took it with a smile. "I appreciate you boys lending a hand," he said into the phone as he put it to his ear.

Both of the brother's voices, then, "Still, knowing how much you love flying the friendly skies, I guess a nine hour plane tip was no picnic." Piper laughed, and Bobby continued. "What did you do, drink your way through it?"

More mumbling, then Bobby laughed. "Well, head on back, boys. I appreciate your help."

There was more mumbling, and Piper's heart warmed when she realized that Dean's voice had the cadence it did when he was being genuine, when he was being kind.

"All right, all right, let's roll credit on this chick flick."

 **xxxxx**

Piper was waiting at the airport for them, dancing from foot to foot in anticipation. _He hates flying, poor thing._

When the passengers started pouring out of the gate, it never even crossed her mind to look for Sam's long hair. Normally, when she was searching them out in the crowd, she was looking for her tall brother-in-law, standing head and shoulders above the rest.

But now, she realized in the back of her head, she didn't even consider the man who had come back Sam. He looked like him, and mostly spoke like him, but he _wasn't_ him.

Her thoughts about their predicament scattered when she saw Dean. She held herself to a serene walk as she approached him, but couldn't contain her grin. Ridiculous as it was, she _always_ missed Dean, regardless of how long he'd been gone. And the wave of relief that washed over her when they were back together never changed.

Apparently it didn't for him, either. As soon as he saw her, he grinned that heart-melting grin at her and opened his arms. She was already running toward him, and flung herself against his strong frame when she got there, breathing him in.

"I missed you," she muttered against his warm skin as she buried her face in his neck.

"You, too, kitten," he whispered into her hair, crushing her to him.

He stiffened just a little. She may not have even noticed it had she not been pressed against him. She stayed where she was, taking her cue from him. "What's wrong?" she whispered low, for his ears only.

"Kitten, we were right," he muttered into her hair. "Something's _definitely_ wrong with Sam."

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi, beautiful readers! Here are my notes:**  
 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or any of the characters. (heartbroken).**  
 **Reviews, comments, and kudos give me life and keep me going.**  
 **And, as always, thank you for reading, you beautiful, beautiful people.**


	77. Doesn't Everyone?

"What are we gonna do?"

Piper sighed and ran her hands through her hair. "I'm not sure. I mean, we don't even know what exactly is wrong with him."

Dean was pacing back and forth across their bedroom, worry and anger radiating off of him. "Shit, I don't even know where to start."

Piper stood and went to him. She took his face in her hands running her fingers along his strong, stubbly jaw. He had shaved after the first case they'd done with Sam. She missed the beard. "Hey, we'll figure something out, okay? We'll put our heads together and we'll find a solution."

He stared down at her, his emerald eyes miserable and searching. "How?"

She didn't have an answer for him, so she just looked up into his handsome face. Despite the situation, he never failed to make her heart beat faster. She ran her thumbs along his cheekbones. "I don't know. But I do know that I love you more than anything, and together we can fix this." She smiled tremulously. "Believe me?"

He put his hands on her waist and pulled her tight against him. "Yeah, kitten, I believe you."

She nodded firmly. "Good."

 **xxxxx**

Later, Piper was sitting on the couch, keeping a wary eye on Sam, who was really just sitting in the chair across the room. But even being still, and completely non-threatening, he made the little hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

Bobby came in, and he was giving Sam the stinkeye. She saw the effort it cost her father figure to smooth his face out before he spoke, and his faith in her warmed Piper's heart. The primary reason Bobby was suspicious of Sam was because of her own misgivings, and it was nice having backup.

The three men were discussing a possible werewolf case nearby. Piper felt the weirdness in the conversation, and it made her feel empty. There was a strange… Disconnect somewhere. A distance between all of them, and she hated it. She tried to put her finger on it, but wasn't quite able to pinpoint the change.

Without really meaning to, her thoughts shifted to Castiel.

Sam had said that the angel hadn't answered his prayers. Piper assumed that he was very busy, he _had_ said that it was chaos in heaven. _Oh, jeeze, maybe there's even fighting._

Guilt lanced through her. She had hardly even thought of their friend for over a year, and who knew what he'd been dealing with? _Poor thing._

She closed her eyes. _Cass, I don't know if you're listening, but I'm so sorry. We kind of bailed on you. If you need anything that Dean or I can provide, please let me know, okay?_

A fluttering of wings made her jump, and she looked up to meet striking blue eyes.

"Hello, Piper."

 **xxxxx**

Dean was staring hard at his brother as they discussed the case going on, trying to figure out what was different.

 _Is it… Does he seem colder? Like he doesn't care?_

The fluttering of wings made him jump. He whirled, and adrenaline had his heart racing before he recognized the figure standing in front of his wife.

"Hello, Piper."

Before anyone else could react to his sudden appearance, Piper leapt up and flung her arms around the angel's neck. _"Cass!"_

Dean was frowning, irritated that he'd been surprised. He watched as Castiel wrapped his arms around Piper and hugged her close.

"'Hello?'" Sam scoffed.

Cass turned around and looked at them. "Yes."

Sam was scowling. "'Hello?' _'Hello?'"_

Castiel's brow furrowed and he looked back at Piper. "Uh, is that still the term?"

Piper was beaming up at the angel. "Yep!"

"I spent all that time trying to get through to you," Sam snarled, "And now you come to say 'hi' to _Piper?"_

Dean bristled at the tone in his brother's voice. "Hey-"

"Yes," Castiel said simply.

"So, what?" Sam's voice still held aggression. "You like her better or something?"

Castiel frowned. "Doesn't everyone?" He looked at Dean for guidance. "Doesn't everyone like Piper more?"

Dean grinned. _I missed the nerdy little dude._ "Yeah, Cass, everyone likes her more."

Piper put a hand on Castiel's arm. "Cass, what Sam means is that he went to hell for us. He went to hell for _everyone._ And I think we're just wondering why you didn't answer him."

He looked down at her. "If I had any answers, I might have responded. But I don't know." He looked up at Sam. "We have no idea who brought you back from the cage. Or why."

"So, it wasn't God?" Sam asked.

"No one's even seen God." Castiel looked between the Winchester brothers and Bobby, then looked back down at Piper. "The whole thing remains mysterious."

She smiled gently. "It's okay, Cass. I appreciate you coming down to tell us."

The angel winced, and Dean frowned as he spoke. "I… I'm sorry, Piper. I didn't just come for this. I need your help."

"What do you want?" Sam snapped.

Piper shot him a quelling look, then looked up at Castiel. "Whatever you need."

The angel look stricken, and Dean thought of the first time Piper had told Cass she had affection for him. He had thought then that he felt a connection to the angel because of the way he responded to Piper, and now he felt that way again. When she was there, telling a person that she was there for him, that she was supporting and loving him, it was hard to tell her 'no.'

Dean grinned and nodded. "Lay it on us, Cass."

 **xxxxx**

After they'd taken care of the child's soul, Balthazar, and Raphael, the four of them stood in the foyer of the opulent mansion. Piper was very tired, and she just wanted to go home.

But that wasn't an option anymore, so she pinned Castiel with a stare, because she knew he was about to disappear again. The angel looked a little guilty as she squinted her eyes at him.

"Cass," she said softly. "Why didn't you _tell_ us all of this was going on?"

She was a little disturbed by the way Castiel had treated the child when he had been searching his soul. It had looked painful, and Dean had protested, but Cass had insisted it was the only way to find out what was going on. He'd been right.

She was more disturbed by the fact that not only had Sam not argued about it, but _he_ didn't seem disturbed at _all._

 _Not now,_ she told herself firmly. _Focus on Cass._

The angel looked uncomfortable. "I was… Ashamed. I expected more from my family."

She sighed and stepped forward to wrap her arms around his waist and hug him close. "You don't have to be ashamed, dummy," she said gently, looking up at him and smiling. "You're family, you can come to us with anything."

He sighed deeply and hugged her back. "Be safe, Piper. And I… I will try to find answers about Sam."

She wished vehemently that she and the angel were alone, so she could share her misgivings about Sam with him. He might even have an idea of what the fuck was going on. But it wasn't an option, so she hugged him hard, then took a step back. "Be careful, Cass," she warned. "If you get hurt, I'll kick your ass."

"She means that," Dean said cheerfully. "She'll do it."

Castiel gave them the barest hint of a smile, then disappeared.

Piper took in a deep breath, then looked back at the brothers and smiled. "Well, that was fucked."

Dean nodded. "How did that dick know you, Pipes?"

She paused for a moment. Balthazar had recognized her immediately, and she him. It was a painful subject, so she hadn't particularly wanted to enlighten them. "When Lucifer killed me," she said softly, "He was there, in heaven. He told me I wouldn't be there for long, and that he was putting his money on you guys and Cass."

 **xxxxx**

Dean winced, then pulled his wife into his arms and held her tight. He didn't say anything, just reveled in the way she cuddled into him, away from the brisk night air.

He hated thinking about… What had happened, but he especially hated thinking about what had happened to _Piper._ The sight of her lying on the ground, empty hazel eyes staring into the sky, still regularly haunted his nightmares. He buried his face in her hair and inhaled her scent, banishing the dread that always gathered at the base of his spine when he thought about it.

She let him for a few moments, then murmured into his neck. "Let's go home, handsome."

 **xxxxx**

"Kristin's a good kid. A little naive, sure... You try to be a good parent. Girls are hard."

Piper smiled and nodded sympathetically to the victim's father. Sam had them working again, less than a day after the fight with Balthazar and Raphael. She didn't know what was up with him, but he'd only offered a simple, "I like to work," as an explanation.

 _My ass,_ she thought bitterly.

She kept her thoughts off of her face, and let the bland smile stay there. "We're working very hard to find your daughter, sir. Is there any way we could see her room?"

He nodded and pointed down the hall. "Last door on the left."

"Thank you," she said as she stood and followed her men to the back bedroom.

"What do you think he was talking about?" Dean muttered to her, stopping so she could slip down the hall ahead of him and placing a big, warm hand on the small of her back.

"Drugs?" Sam said, just as softly, as he opened the door.

Piper shrugged. "Could be."

They opened the door, and Piper reached into turn the light on. Her eyes widened as she took in the blood red walls, covered in posters from "My Summer Blood," with "vampiric" accessories littering the room.

"Oh, this is _so_ much worse," Dean whispered, horrified.

Sam snorted. _"Vampires?"_

"These aren't vampires, man, these…" Dean glared at the full-size cutout of one of the actors from the movie hanging on the back of the door as Piper shut it gently behind her. "These are douchebags."

Sam nodded. "Yeah."

Piper shrugged as she walked into the room and looked around. "I dunno, the movie wasn't _that_ bad."

A resounding silence had her turning to see both brothers staring at her, wide-eyed. "What?"

"You… You _saw_ it?" Dean asked, deep betrayal coloring his deep voice.

Piper rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Yes, I went to see it with Brandy. Her daughter is twelve, and she wanted to see it to make sure it wasn't inappropriate before taking her."

Piper smiled at the memory of her and her friend giggling through the movie. Despite their gentle mocking, though, at the end of the film, they'd both been on the edge of their seats. During the big fight scene, they'd held hands and squeaked. It had been nice.

"I'm looking at you in a whole new light, Pipe," Sam said with a smile.

She crossed her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him, and he laughed as he flipped back the covers on the bed. It was almost like it had been before, and she warmed. _Maybe it's just our imagination. He hasn't been part of the family for a year, maybe he's just out of practice._

"Aha!" Sam pulled out a red laptop from beneath a pillow. He took it over to the desk and flipped it open. "Let's see what we can see."

When he turned it on, it made a screaming noise that made Piper jump, and a picture of a brooding, pale man popped up.

"That's just… Uncomfortable," Sam said stiffly.

"What's _he_ so bummed out about?" Dean asked.

While Sam tried to find the password, Dean found a copy of "My Summer Blood." He glared down at the cover and looked at Piper. "He's _watching_ her _sleep._ How is that not rapey?"

She chuckled and came to stand next to him. "You've never watched me sleep?"

He grinned down at her. "Not because I 'vanted to suck yore blood.'"

She laughed and watched as he flipped through the pages. Something caught his eye, and he read aloud to her, softly. "'He could hear the blood rushing inside her, almost taste it. He tried desperately to control himself. Romero knew their love was impossible-' _Romero?_ Really?"

She laughed and leaned into him, one arm snaking around his waist. "Oh, it's not that bad. You're just grumpy."

He tossed the book back on the bed and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Damn right."

"Got it!" Sam said triumphantly. "It was 'Pattinson.' I think I hate teenage girls."

Piper led Dean over to his brother so they could look at the screen over Sam's shoulder. "Hush," she said with a smile. "Let teenage girls be teenage girls. Not everyone can fawn over the two of you from the get go."

Dean grinned down at her, and she felt her face warm in a blush. "Fawned over me, did you?"

She rolled her eyes and pushed at him. "No, Sam, I was all about Sam."

Sam grinned up at her and winked, and for just a moment, everything was right. Her Winchesters smiling at her, her heart was light, they were working a case. She wallowed in it for a few seconds, before they looked back at the laptop and got to work.

"All right, what are we looking at?"

Sam was scrolling through several pages of content. "Uh, looks like her inbox is full. Some guy claiming to be a vampire."

Dean frowned. "A real vampire?"

Sam shrugged. "Well, here. 'I can only meet you at night.' 'I don't trust myself with you.' 'The call of your blood is too strong.'" He looked up at them. "Vampires fishing for victims?"

"Probably just a human mouth-breather, right?" Dean asked, looking at Piper.

She shrugged. "Maybe. On the other hand, talk about easy prey."

Sam nodded. "Yeah, I mean, these chicks are just throwing themselves at you. All you gotta do is… I dunno, write bad poetry."

Piper smiled, thinking of her first crush (outside of the man she'd married). He had been the opposite of Dean, soft-spoken and rail-thin. He'd written some poetry himself, she recalled. "There's something to be said for bad poetry," she said softly, still smiling. _Lot of nostalgia on this case._

Dean narrowed his green eyes at her, and she grinned as he hmphed. He tugged her to him and nuzzled her cheek, just a little. "Bad poetry, huh?" She shivered a little at his deep, rough voice in her ear.

Sam watched all of this with a blank look on his face, then looked back at the emails. "This guy wanted to meet her at a place called The Black Rose."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Give me a break."

Sam shrugged. "Just reporting the news."

Piper shrugged, too. "Well, it's probably just a standard-issue weirdo. Let's go check it out, anyway, just in case."

Dean wrapped his arm around her again and held her close. "Whatever you say, kitten."

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi, beautiful readers! Here are my notes:**  
 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or any of the characters. (heartbroken).**  
 **Reviews, comments, and kudos give me life and keep me going.**  
 **And, as always, thank you for reading, you beautiful, beautiful people.**  
 ****This is weird, but I'm really, really excited about the next chapter... I can't wait to share it with you guys.**


	78. I'll Be Damned

"Well, you wanted emo chicks, I think we hit ground zero," Dean said dryly as he led them to a table in The Black Rose.

Piper smiled, then rolled her eyes when her husband took his jacket off and draped it around her shoulders. His jaw was tight and his eyes watchful of the crowd around them. Part of it was the hunt, sure, but most of it was because of her.

To fit in (as much as she could with minimal makeup and short, auburn hair, anyway), she was wearing a pair of tight black jeans and a lacy violet camisole. It was as far as she was willing to go, and it was clearly driving her husband _crazy,_ both with jealousy and with lust.

She slid onto the stool next to Dean, rolling her eyes again when he scooted his closer to hers before sitting. He dropped his arm around her shoulders.

Sam was smirking and eyeing both of them. "Dean, how are you going to be able to find the vampires if you're so focused on keeping other people from looking at Piper?"

"I'll be fine," Dean snapped. "Just look for the damn vampires."

Piper hit him gently on the chest, and he turned to glare at her. "Dean, cut the caveman impression and let's do our jobs." She smiled and leaned close to whisper in his ear, "So we can go home and you can take this off. It's _awfully_ tight…"

The deep growl rumbling in his chest sent shivers up and down her spine, and she smiled when he turned to press his lips against her ear, then down her neck, nipping at the sensitive skin.

Sam sighed. "Could you guys get off of each other for, like, a minute, please? We're working."

Piper smiled again and pushed Dean away. "Sorry, Sam. We'll focus."

Dean smirked at her. "I _am_ focused."

She rolled her eyes and smiled at the waitress came to the table to take their drinks. The men ordered beers, and Piper just asked for water as she eyed the other woman's rubber suit.

When she walked away, Dean leaned forward. "Think she wears all that rubber to the beach?" Sam was already canvassing the bar, though, and Dean looked at him thoughtfully. "When was the last time we had a beer together, anyway?"

Sam ignored him and nodded over to the corner of the room. Piper turned to follow his line of sight. It was a teenage boy, in a black coat and a dog collar, chatting up a pretty girl. "What do you think?" Sam asked her. "He's hitting on her hard enough. Real?"

She shrugged. "Dunno, it's hard to tell." She tilted her head to two other suspicious men, both talking up a different woman. "And we have multiple choice on our hands."

Sam sighed. "All right, three of them and three of us."

One of the men Piper was watching leaned forward and kissed a third man who was standing next to the little group. Dean shrugged. "Okay, make that two of them and three of us. Good odds."

The teenager wearing the dog collar began to escort the pretty girl he'd been talking to outside. Piper tensed. "That one is on the move."

Dean nodded. "All right. Sam, you go with Efron, Pipes and I will take Bieber."

The three of them stood and went their separate ways. Piper followed Dean, body tense and lit with adrenaline, as they stalked the boy and his prey out into the alley. When they got there, he had the girl pressed up against a door. "Are you sure, baby?" he said in a ridiculous, clearly contrived gravelly voice. "Are you ready to join me in eternity?"

Piper rolled her eyes and drew her gun, loaded with bullets coated in dead man's blood. The girl started to giggle. "Oh, my God, _totally."_

The "vampire" opened his mouth and snarled. Dean darted into the alley, grabbed the kid by his jacket and tossed him back.

"Hey!" the kid yelped.

Piper grabbed the girl by the arm and tugged her away. "Go!" The girl got the hint and ran.

Meanwhile, Dean was manhandling the kid, who was shouting, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Open your mouth," Dean snarled. When the teen just glared at him, Dean grabbed the lapels of his leather jacket and slammed him into the wall. _"Now!"_

The boy obeyed, revealing plastic fangs in his mouth. Now irritated, too, Piper came forward and smacked him upside the head. "Seriously? Take those out. What are you, twelve?"

Dean's eyes widened. "Are you… Wearing _glitter?"_

"I only do it to get laid, man!"

Dean blinked. "Does… Does that work?" The kid nodded. "I'll be damned."

Piper glared at both of them. "All right, kiddo, mmbop your way out of here, go. And use protection!" She shouted after after him as he ran down the alley. "Ugh, teenagers."

She turned to look at Dean, who was rubbing the back of his neck and grinning. "Sorry, kitten, got distracted."

As they started to walk away, a deep, echoing voice whispered, "You're pretty…"

Piper found herself being thrown against the wall. The back of her head cracked against the brick, and she was unable to even make a noise as she crumpled, breathing hard through her nose to deal with the pain.

" _Piper!"_

She struggled against the dizziness to stand as she watched what was pretty obviously a _real_ vampire toss her husband through the air. Dean fought, but was overpowered quickly. The creature had him pinned, and started whaling on him.

Piper was finally able to get to her feet when she saw Sam walking into the alley. But she must have hit her head harder than she'd thought, because it looked like he was just… _Standing_ there, and that couldn't be right.

She took a few shaky steps forward and grabbed the pipe that Dean had dropped. She took just a second, _just a second,_ to catch her breath and will the world to stop spinning. It was just a second.

When she looked up, Dean had blood smeared on his lips, and there was a tear in his neck. Fear made her heart thud. _"Dean!'_

" _No!"_

Piper watched in relief as Sam charged the vampire. He wasn't able to kill it, but the creature ran away, and Piper dropped to her knees next to Dean, her shaking fingers wiping the blood from his lips. His eyes were wild and desperate when they met hers. "Piper…"

 **xxxxx**

Something smelled _amazing._

The sounds were almost overwhelming, and thank _fuck_ Sam had shut the curtains before he'd gotten him in the room. All of Dean's senses were going crazy, threatening to drive him into madness in a matter of minutes.

The main culprit being that incredible _scent._

Sam flicked the lights off, and the incessant buzzing sound went away. Dean took a deep breath, then regretted it immediately when that beautiful scent filled his head and made him dizzy. _Is it getting stronger?_

"What is that _smell?"_ he snarled, wondering why they were here, why Sammy hadn't just taken care of it in the alley. This couldn't be easy on Piper.

Dean had already accepted he had to die. _Whatever._ He was fine with that, but he mourned for Piper, because this was going to be awful for her. He hoped that Sam would have the decency to do it himself and to send her out of the room.

"What smell?"

Dean looked up and glared at Sam, who was frowning and sniffing the air. "You can't… You know what, forget it, man. What the hell are we gonna do, why are we here?" He groaned and buried his face in his hands again. "Of all the ways to die, I never thought I'd be going out like this."

"Dean, nobody is 'going out,'" Sam snapped.

"Look, when Samuel gets here, he's going to kill me."

"No, Dean, he's not!"

Dean stood, growling, trying to fight his temper, his senses, and that _smell._ "Yeah, he is! 'Cause I'm gonna get _him_ to do it, because you won't!" He levelled a finger at his brother. "And don't ask Piper to do it, you hear me?"

Sam held his hands up in surrender. "I hear you, I hear you."

Dean narrowed his eyes. He could hear Sam's heartbeat, he could hear a softer, quicker heartbeat outside the room, hell, he could hear the _neighbor's_ heartbeat. But Sam's was the only one that was slow and steady. "Why aren't you freaked out?"

Sam frowned. "Of course I am!"

Dean raised his eyebrows. "Really? 'Cause I can hear your pulse, and it's pretty damn calm."

"That's because I'm, I'm trying to _stay_ calm, Dean, I-"

Everything was drowned out by that intoxicating smell and the click of the door. Dean realized that should have known the instant it hit his nose what it was. She'd always smelled amazing.

Piper was frowning at both of them, still holding ice to the back of her head. "Quit yelling at each other," she said softly but severely. "It can't be helping Dean's ears, and besides that, it's not helping anything."

Dean couldn't do anything but look at her and suppress the animalistic growl that wanted to explode from his chest.

She was frowning at Sam, and Dean barely had the presence of mind to wonder why as she spoke. "Sam, why don't you go… Wait for Samuel. I'll stay with Dean."

Sam frowned. "Do you think that's safe? I mean, he's-"

"He's _Dean,_ Sam, I'll be perfectly safe," she snapped, sending fierce satisfaction through Dean. As if he could ever hurt her, what was Sam thinking?

Sam was still frowning, but he walked out the door, shooting glances over his shoulder until the door shut behind him.

As soon as the door was closed, Dean was overwhelmed by her again. He realized that, while he could see perfectly well, she probably couldn't. It was pretty dark.

She was muttering to herself as she set the ice pack down on the table next to the door. "What a dick."

He couldn't help the chuckle that slipped out, then he winced when he realized she probably hadn't known he could hear her. _Smooth, Winchester._

She turned, and the way her heartbeat quickened almost made him groan. _Fuck._ She smelled _amazing,_ and he could smell and undercurrent of something darker and more alluring there. He could hear her heartbeat, and the short, shallow breaths she was taking. It made him growl deep in his chest, in a way that he knew was probably creepy, but felt perfectly natural to him.

"Um, Dean?" she asked softly, and it was probably only his new advanced hearing that let him notice the tiny tremble at the end of his name. Which _also_ made him want to growl.

"Yeah, kitten," he said roughly.

Her sharply little intake of breath and the way she shivered broke his resolve. He stalked closer to her, for all the world like he was some predator and she was his prey.

 _Well, I_ am _a predator now, and she does smell pretty damn good…_

He came to stand next to her, towering over her. She wasn't able to see it, he was sure, but she could _sense_ it. "I can hear your heartbeat, Piper," he said softly, his lips just a whisper away from her ear. He knew that the other scent pouring from her was probably fear. "Are you afraid of me, kitten?"

Her heart was _pounding,_ he could her it, and it was working slowly but surely to drive him insane.

Her breath hitched, and it had the grip he had on his sanity slipping. She turned to look at him, all pale skin and big hazel eyes. "No," she whispered, the truth of what she was saying shining on her face. "I'll never be afraid of you."

A huge, sweeping surge of love overtook him, and in defiance of his inner voice screaming, _No! No! Get away from her!,_ he leaned forward to nuzzle her neck, just below her ear. He adored every little piece of her, he wanted to wrap himself in her and stay there forever. "You should be, baby," he murmured, simultaneously giving into the urge to keep touching her and fighting to get away.

Both her heartbeat and her breathing were fast and shallow. He could _hear_ the blood moving through her veins.

 _Shit._

"Why?" she asked softly.

"I can smell you, kitten," he whispered in her ear, relishing the shiver it sent through her. "Fuck, you smell _amazing._ I can smell that fruity shit you put in your hair, and fabric softener, and…"

The longer he was whispering to her, and the closer he got to the pulse point in her neck, the stronger that dark, intoxicating scent that rested under her own natural aroma was getting. When he realized how wildly aroused he was, it hit him like a freight train what that _scent_ was.

He ran his tongue along the shell of her ear, one arm snaking around to wrap around her waist. "Is this turning you on, kitten?"

She whimpered, and he felt the sound resonate _everywhere_ in him. "No," she said quickly. "I mean, I don't know. I got hit on the head pretty hard, maybe that's why. I'm sorry, Dean-"

He was pressed against her soft curves, which were still clothed in purple lace and tight black jeans. She smelled like the best damn thing that had ever happened to him. _And she wanted him._

He was completely powerless against the need to pick her up and set her on the table. She gasped, then fisted her hands in his shirt and pressed herself against him. He groaned and kissed her hard, threading his fingers through her hair and keeping her firmly against him.

Her breathy moans had him growling into her mouth. Craving more closeness, he wrapped one arm around her again and lifted her, rumbling his approval deep in his chest when she wound her _incredible_ legs around his waist.

When she pulled away to press her lips to his jaw, he groaned and walked them to a wall so he could pin her there with his body. "Tell me to stop, Pipes," he said roughly, even as he moved his hands down to knead her ass and started to thrust shallowly against her.

"Hmm, no," she hummed against his throat, which was driving him _wild._

"Piper," he gritted out, hanging onto his control by a thread. "This is going to be rough."

"As long as you keep your damn teeth to yourself, I don't care," she replied tartly, grinding herself down on his straining cock.

His control snapped, and he lifted her again to walk over and drop her on the bed. She squeaked a little, and he felt his upper lip twitch in an animalistic snarl. He recognized the need for precaution, because no matter how much he wanted her (and it was an all-consuming, burning _need_ for his wife), Dean would have rather found a way to decapitate himself than harm Piper.

"Clothes," he demanded roughly, "then hands and knees, kitten."

Her eyes darkened, and when she sat up to strip her top off, he almost died when he saw she wasn't wearing a bra. He cocked an eyebrow as he pulled his own shirt off. She just smirked and shrugged, and he had to fight the urge to overpower her, to mark her as his, to feed off of her and make her his mate in one more, very _final_ way.

Instead, he watched her slide her jeans off, lifting her hips off of the bed. He quickly rid himself of his own clothes, never taking his eyes off of her. She was, as she always had been, the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

He stroked his cock lazily as she twisted and brought herself up on her hands and knees. She turned to look at him over her shoulder, her hazel eyes burning. "Not that I'm complaining," she said softly, her lovely voice soothing to his overwrought ears, "but why this way?"

He slowly got onto the bed behind her. When he was where he wanted to be, he placed a hand on her inner thigh to reposition her. When he did, he felt the blood pumping just beneath the skin. That, combined with the strong scent of her arousal, had his fangs descending without his consent, and he flinched back. "Shit," he muttered, closing his eyes and fighting to regain his control.

"Dean?" There was no fear in her voice, only concern, which went a long way toward his ability to retract his fangs.

He put one hand on her pretty, curvaceous hips, and ran the fingers of his other hand back up to her soft thigh. "You smell too good, kitten. I don't trust myself with you."

She shuddered. "I don't suppose- _Ah!"_ she gasped as he slowly moved a finger through her hot, damp folds. She took a deep breath, then, "I don't suppose it matters if _I_ trust you?"

He leaned over to press his lips to the soft skin on her lovely back. "No," he murmured, "it doesn't. I can't…" He sighed. "I can't control this, baby. I'm dangerous. We shouldn't even be-"

Before he could finish, she pushed herself back. He bit his words off with a groan as his finger sank into her wet heat. "God dammit, Piper."

"Dean," she said firmly. "If you don't fuck me soon, I'm going to climb on top of you and take matters into my own hands." She looked over her shoulder at him fiercely. "Am I making myself clear?"

He moved his finger out of her slowly, then sank two back into her. He smirked when she whimpered and arched her back for him. "Is that what you want, kitten?" he growled. "You want me to fuck you?"

She moved back onto his hand again, and he let her, slowly fingering her, making her feel it. "Oh, _God,_ yes, please, Dean, _please-"_

He slowly pulled his fingers out and slipped them into his mouth. He had to maneuver around his fangs again, but he didn't fight it this time. It heightened every sensation when they were out, and somehow, he knew he could control his hunger.

The hunger for blood, anyway.

He put his hands on her hips again and lined himself up with her entrance. "You sound so pretty when you beg, kitten. You're so sexy when you want me."

"I always want you, Dean. I _love_ you."

The sincerity in her voice gave him pause. There was no play in her words, this wasn't part of the game. He hardened his resolve, he _couldn't_ hurt her. He _had_ to control himself.

"I love you, too," he said gently, running a hand down her spine soothingly. If he couldn't say it now, what might be his last chance, to the woman who made his life worth living, he didn't deserve her.

He sank into her slowly, groaning at how wet she was, the way she gasped and shuddered. _"Fuck,_ kitten."

"I know, fuck, Dean, _please-"_ she gasped as she dropped forward to bury her face in the pillow.

Her soft cries into the fabric, the way she was swivelling her hips and began meeting him thrust for thrust, started to drive him crazy. Unable to help himself, he tucked his hands beneath her hips and started pulling her back against him as he slammed into her, resisting the urge to bite his lip.

" _Dean!"_ She was almost screaming now, and her wild heartbeat and the sound of the blood racing through her veins and the way her scent was overwhelming, overpowering everything he had ever been and ever would be, it was all too much.

He bent over her to press his lips to her back again and reached his arm down to set a fast, rough pace on her clit. She screamed and bucked beneath him, coming apart in his arms. The way she clenched around him dragged his own orgasm out of him. His first instinct was to bite down into her, but he reared back and turned away as aftershocks shuddered through him, controlling himself, unwilling to even chance it.

He pulled out gently, then quickly rearranged the two of them so he was cradling her in his lap, her face pressed to his lap and his arms around her. "I didn't hurt you, did I?" He whispered into her hair.

She shook her head a little. "No, honey, you didn't. That was… Amazing," she breathed out, cuddling into him.

He sighed and breathed deeply with her nose in her hair, then winced. "Oh, fuck, I'm Pattinson."

Her tinkling, soft laugh made his (un)dead heart stutter.

 **xxxxx**

Piper led her husband out of the bedroom by his hand, smiling a little at the deep, satisfying soreness she felt. _Worth it._

She was met by Sam, who had his eyebrows raised, and Samuel, who was scowling. Automatically, always hyper-aware of her husband, she put herself between the two of them and him. The growl that was rumbling deep in his chest confirmed her suspicions about how he would react. She pointed at Sam. "Shut up." Then she looked at Samuel. "And you, we are _not_ killing him."

She didn't know what her alternate plan was, but the way Dean had held her after, the tender way he'd helped her dress and run his fingers through his hair, breathing in her scent deeply… It all confirmed that she wasn't going to give him up. At the very least, he was strong enough now to get them out of the motel room, probably without killing Sam or Samuel.

The two of them would… Go from there.

"Did you feed?" Samuel asked Dean. Piper suddenly wished she was wearing Dean's t-shirt, like he'd offered, instead of her thin tank top, because Samuel was staring at her exposed skin. _At least it's obvious he hasn't bitten me._

"No, he didn't," she snapped.

"He didn't bite you, uh, _anywhere?"_ Sam asked skeptically.

" _Fuck_ you, Sam," Dean snarled, and Piper found herself again physically blocking him from the other men. "She _said_ I didn't."

She met Samuel's eyes. "He didn't, I swear, he's clean."

He nodded. "Thank God." Piper relaxed a fraction, and felt Dean do the same behind her. "Listen," Samuel said, "I didn't drive all this way to kill you. I'm here to _save_ you."

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi, beautiful readers! Here are my notes:**  
 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or any of the characters. (heartbroken).**  
 **Reviews, comments, and kudos give me life and keep me going.**  
 **And, as always, thank you for reading, you beautiful, beautiful people.**  
 ****I just love Dean and Piper.**


	79. You're Killing Me

Piper watched as Samuel squirted the blood of Dean's sire (which was such a strange thought it gave her pause every time she had it) into a jar that supposedly held the potion to cure her husband.

It had killed her to let Dean go to the vamp's nest alone, and when Samuel had suggested they should follow, she had agreed immediately. The sight of Dean covered in blood, growling, had put a sliver of ice in her heart that had yet to thaw. She suspected it wouldn't thaw until he was human again.

"If this works," Samuel said softly, "you know it's not gonna be a kiddie ride, right?"

Dean was panting and holding his stomach. "Great. Light her up."

Piper winced and resisted the urge to go to him. Everything in her wanted to comfort Dean, but she knew his senses were probably completely overloaded, so she stayed next to Samuel, across the table from Dean.

As Samuel mixed, Sam spoke in what was probably supposed to be a casual voice, but there was an eagerness had Piper's hackles rising. "So, what'd you see in there?"

Dean glared at him. _"What?"_

"In the nest. What'd you see?"

Dean groaned and rubbed a hand down his face. "Sam, I can't hear you. You're blood is so fucking _loud._ Just, just back off."

Even as he said it, he held a hand out to Piper. She immediately took it in hers as she rounded the table to stand next to him. She pushed her hand up beneath his shirts to rub his cold lower back gently, and was gratified when he leaned back into her touch just a little bit.

Samuel had poured the potion into a coffee mug and handed it to Dean. "Here goes nothin'."

Dean grimaced. "L'chaim…" He tilted his head back and drank the whole thing. He winced again and swallowed hard.

After a beat, he looked around at them. "I don't think it-"

Before he could finish, he retched, then spun and fell to his knees in front of the bucket they'd placed next to the table. He started projectile vomiting thick, dark liquid, and it took Piper a moment to realize that it was blood.

He fell to his side. "Dean!" she cried, dropping to her knees next to him. Her hands hovered over him nervously, unsure of what to do, how to help.

He started to seize, and her heart stopped. _"Dean!"_ His convulsions sent him to his back, and she blinked through the tears in her eyes to gently turn his head to the side, in case he started to vomit again.

It seemed to take forever for his shaking to stop and his eyes to open. She sucked in a breath, having not realized until that moment how sure she had been that his fuckwit brother and grandfather had killed her husband.

"Hey," she said softly, stroking his face lightly.

His bloodshot, watery eyes focused on her, and his face softened. She smiled and bit her lip a little, trying to contain her elation that he was all right.

Then his eyes flicked above her, and his face hardened right back again. She didn't have to turn around to know that he was looking at Sam.

 **xxxxx**

Later that night, in the motel room that Dean had insisted they get separate from Sam, Piper watched her husband when he came out of the shower.

He had a towel slung low around his waist, and warm, feminine satisfaction wound its way through her. Even though he looked absolutely spent, he was _gorgeous._ And, more importantly, and more attractive than any pretty face could be, he was _hers._

He ditched the towel, slipped into a pair of sweats, and sat on the bed next to her, leaning against the headboard. She automatically leaned against him, soaking up the warmth that was baking off of him again. Despite how good it had been earlier, with his animalistic growling and rough hands, he had been cold when he'd touched her. She'd missed his warmth.

He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close to press a kiss to her head. She looked up at him. "How are you feeling?"

He leaned his head back. "Like I want to sleep for a week."

She kissed his shoulder gently. "We can make that happen, you know."

He just grunted softly, and she lay her cheek against him again. She wasn't sure if he was thinking, or just so tired he could fall asleep right here, but she was willing to wait him out either way.

"So, uh, did Sam… How did Sam react, when I got bit?"

That sliver of ice showed back up in her heart, and she looked up at him to think carefully before she replied. "Why do you ask?"

He sighed, but didn't look at her, just kept his eyes closed and his head leaned back. "I think… I think I saw something, about him. When I was having those visions, while I was being 'cured.'"

"What did you see?"

He hesitated. "I think… I think he _let_ me get turned."

She hesitated, too. "I think so, too," she said in a very small voice.

He looked down at her. "You saw him?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, I got hit on the head pretty hard. I thought I was seeing things, and I might have been."

Dean pulled her close to kiss her on the forehead. "I don't think you were, kitten."

 **xxxxx**

 _"...Consumers from predatory prices. Here's the facts. Tune in weekdays for the newest addition to our award-winning local team."_

Piper sat next to Dean at the bar, idly watching the news while he took a shot. She didn't strictly approve of him drinking in the middle of the day like this, but one didn't get married to Dean Winchester without accepting a little bit of day drinking as part of who he was.

They were in a town where people had been committing suicide at an alarming rate. Two instances they had found so far involved the victim being told a brutal, warped version of the "truth" just before they killed themselves. They were at a loss, so Dean and Piper had come to the bar while Sam looked at the bodies the morgue.

The obnoxious, uptight little newscaster was still speaking on the television hanging above the bar. _"Find out the truth about your layaway living room."_

The bartender came over to them. "Another one?"

Dean shook his head. "Uh, no, thanks. We're working."

The girl shrugged and walked away. Piper felt Dean's hand land on her thigh and flip over. She automatically threaded her fingers through his as he answered his ringing cell. "Hey, what's up?" Sam's voice over the phone, then Dean frowned. "What do you mean, they just vanished?" Sam spoke again. "Suicide? Well, that then that would make her our patient zero, right?" Sam again, then, "All right, give us ten."

He flipped his phone shut and sighed, then looked up at the bartender. "You know what? I will have that other one."

She smirked "Thought you were working."

Piper smiled and squeezed his hand. "We're working up to it." As the bartender walked away, Piper watched Dean rub his eyes and squeezed his hand sympathetically. "How are you holding up, handsome?"

He sighed. "I'm not, not really."

She reached up to run her free hand through the short hair on the nape of his neck when he spoke again. "I'd just like the friggin' _truth."_

The bartender set the next shot down, and Piper opened her mouth to speak, but the girl behind the bar beat her to it.

"Sometimes I think I can't get pregnant 'cause God knows my marriage is a sham." Piper's eyes widened and the girl frowned. "Why'd I say that?" She shrugged. "I mean, I've been snorting oxy all day." The bartender blanched. "Why'd I say _that?"_

"I'm pretty sure I know," Dean said thoughtfully, then he looked at Piper.

She was biting her lip _hard_ to keep from speaking. She had also figured out what was going on, and she didn't particularly want to participate.

Dean seemed to agree. He stood and looped an arm around her waist. "Come on, kitten, let's go."

As they were walking out, a woman smiled flirtatiously at Dean. "I'm sitting like this so you'll look at my breasts. I just bought them. I need a lot of attention."

Dean nodded dismissively. "Good luck with that."

Knowing her husband, Piper rolled her eyes when they stopped a few steps away, then smiled a little when he stepped back and gave the woman a thorough once-over before they walked out of the bar.

They made their way out to the Impala, and Dean stopped her before she got in. He tilted his head and looked down at her. "Any burning secrets you wanna share, Pipes?"

Before she could do anything to stop it, her mouth was speaking.

"Not really, but I think you're too hard on Cass. He's fighting a _war,_ and you tend to have tunnel vision when it comes to Sam. Which is okay, you've always had tunnel vision when it comes to Sam, he's the most important person, I get it, I think we _all_ get it, but you've gotta ease up on Cass, he's doing his best, and-"

His lips against hers cut her off. She leaned into him gratefully and kissed him back, savoring the firm body pressed against hers. She wrapped her arms around him and smiled against his mouth when he did the same to her.

He pulled away and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Pipes, he's not the _most_ important."

"Of course he is, anyone can see that the rest of us take second place." She leaned back to look up at him. "But it doesn't matter to us, Dean. It doesn't matter to any of us, especially me." She smiled. "I love you more than I thought it was possible to love someone, and I've always loved you like that. I'm okay with taking a backseat to Sam."

He looked pained for a moment, then cupped the back of her head and brought her in for another kiss. She went willingly, because he was an _amazing_ kisser, and because she felt like he needed her.

When he pulled away, he still looked frustrated. "Pipes, you… You're not second place, baby." She smiled up at him, not believing him, and he groaned. "Kitten, you're killing me." He took a deep breath, then fixed his eyes on something up above her head. "Pipes, you're not second place, or in the backseat. I…" He swallowed hard. "I love you, and whatever I have to do to prove to you that you're first, you just let me know, kitten, and I'll do it."

When he looked back down at her, he seemed surprised to see the tears in her eyes. She went up on tiptoe and kissed him fiercely, not wanting to say what she had to say while she was under the effects of what was pretty obviously a curse.

They were only interrupted, several steamy minutes later, by Dean's phone ringing. He looked down at it, then looked ruefully at her. He had her pressed up against the Impala, and she had shamelessly brought one leg up to keep him close, and was now pressing kisses to his shirt-covered chest.

"It's Bobby," he said softly.

She sighed and looked up at him. "He might have some information. Go ahead and answer it."

 **xxxxx**

Dean watched as the newscaster, Ashley Frank, walked into her home. They'd discovered that she was actually the goddess Veritas, thanks to Piper, and now they were following her.

"Looks pretty normal, right?" Sam asked.

Dean felt infinitely better about Sam since he'd been able to ask him about his behavior under while they were under the effects of the truth curse. He figured Sam was just having some sort of reaction to the job, to what he'd gone through with Lucifer. Dean was confident he and Piper could help him get back to normal.

"Maybe the inside is where she hides the creep," Piper said from the backseat.

They watched the lights turn on as Ashley entered her home. Dean turned to Sam and held up the two big knives they had. "Ready?"

Sam held up a jar of dark liquid. "Yeah."

Dean frowned. "And that is…"

"Dog's blood."

Piper made a little distressed noise in the back of her throat, and Dean winced. "Do I even want to know where you got that?"

"Probably not."

 **xxxxx**

"The tongue is the tastiest part," Veritas purred. "It's where the lies roll off."

Dean had to close his eyes when the goddess took a bite out of the dentist's tongue, his stomach rolling dangerously. _Don't upchuck while you're tied up, God dammit._

When the smacking and chewing noises had ceased, Dean opened his eyes again to see Veritas smirking at him. "And I cannot _wait_ to eat yours. I mean, I've seen liars before, but you three?" She shivered. "Gold standard."

Dean's face felt like it could have been carved from stone. "Point of professional pride."

The goddess crouched in front of him. "I wouldn't be so cocky if I were _you,_ Dean. You know what happens when you base your life on lies, right? The truth comes along and…" She shrugged. "So, while you've still got your tongue... God knows you've gotten an earful today." She tilted her head and smiled. "I think it's your turn to spill something. How 'bout we play a little truth or truth? What should we ask Dean first, hmm? Something… Personal. About you."

Dean had no idea what was going to come out of his mouth when it opened. "It's really fucking with me that Piper thinks she's second choice," he said evenly, looking over to his wife, whose amber eyes were widening. "I know she thinks that Sam's the most important thing, the most important person, but it's always been her." He smiled a little. "Ever since you told me you didn't need my help crawling out from under that table, kitten, it's been you."

There were tears in Piper's eyes, but Veritas was groaning in exasperation. "Ugh, _boring."_ She looked over at Sam. "Hey, Dean, I'm curious. How do you really feel about your brother?"

"Better now," Dean said simply. "As of yesterday, I wanted to kill him in his sleep." Sam's eyebrows went up, and he got a _what the hell_ look on his face, but Dean continued. "I thought he was a monster, but now I think he's just… Acting like me."

Veritas frowned. "What do you mean?"

"It's the gig. You're covered in blood until you're covered in your own. Half the time, you're about to die, like right now." He looked over at Piper as sorrow speared his heart. "I'm sorry, Pipes. We should have stayed out. We should have stayed away."

His wife shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks. "Don't do that, no, Sam needed us, we-"

"Oh, holy _fuck,"_ Veritas snarled. "This is _ridiculous._ We get it, the famous Winchesters are wildly in love, can we get a move on, please?" She stood. "So, Sam walking back into your life must have been a relief. Hmm? Mallory to your Mickey. And how do you feel about the band getting back together? Hmm, Sam?"

She crouched in front of Sam, whose face was working and moving. "Look," Sam said finally, "What we do… Is hard."

Dean spotted a hook hanging above him, then met Sam and Piper's eyes respectively, communicating silently with them. Piper nodded just a little.

Sam was still speaking. "But… The three of us, we watch out for each other. And that's what's important. And that's it. That's the truth."

Veritas stood, her chest heaving. "No, no it's not."

Sam frowned. "You said yourself, I can't lie."

"How are you doing that?" Veritas hissed. "That's not possible. You're _lying_ to me!"

"No, I'm not!"

"What are you?" Veritas turned to look at Dean. "What _is_ he?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sam said loudly.

The goddess whipped around to glare at him again. "Really? I doubt that. I doubt _anything_ that comes out of your mouth right now. You're not _human."_

Everything in Dean stilled. "What?"

Veritas looked at him again. "You didn't know? Now, _that_ I believe."

Before he could say anything else, Sam leaped to his feet, grabbed one of the dog's blood soaked knives and lunged at the goddess. As they fought, Dean cut through his own ropes, tossed the knife to Piper, who caught it easily, then stood to grab the hook and drove it through the Veritas' back.

That done, he turned and helped Piper stand, then carefully tucked her behind him and held the knife at Sam when his brother stood.

Sam immediately put his hands up in surrender. "Guys, it's _me."_

Dean advanced. "You are not my brother," he snarled.

"Just listen," Sam insisted, still backing up.

"What _are_ you?" Piper asked softly from behind him, her warm hand landing on Dean's back.

"I'm me, Pipe. Look, please, just let me explain."

"Why the hell should we believe _anything_ you say?" Dean snapped.

Sam stopped moving. His face smoothed out, and he straightened a little. He could have been standing in line at the DMV instead of at knifepoint for all the emotion he was showing now.

"Okay, okay. You want the truth? Here it is, God's honest. She was right. There's something wrong with me, really wrong. I've known it for a while. I lied to you. And… I let you get turned by that vamp. Because I _knew_ there was a cure, Dean, and we _needed_ in that nest! And I knew you could handle it!"

 _"Handle_ it?" Dean growled, trying to keep focused through the anger coursing through his veins. "I could have _died!_ I could have killed _Piper!"_

Sam nodded. "And that should stop me cold. But I, I just don't feel it."

Piper came to stand next to Dean, frowning. "What?"

Sam shrugged. "Ever since I came back, I am a, a better hunter than I've _ever_ been! Nothing scares me anymore! 'Cause I can't feel it. I don't know what's wrong with me. I think... I need help."

Dean turned to look down at Piper, who was still staring at Sam. _She could have been killed._ Sam's actions, and lack of _feeling,_ or whatever he was calling it, could have put Piper in serious danger. Dean argued with himself, fighting to keep a handle on his emotions.

It didn't work.

He stepped forward and punched Sam in the face hard. Sam went down, and Dean attacked him. He ended up straddling his brother's chest, hitting him over and over and over, just waiting for himself to feel better.

That didn't work, either. He couldn't stop until Piper's small, warm hand touched his arm. She was crouching next to him, tears in her eyes, a resigned look on her face. "Come on, Dean. Let's call Cass."

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi, beautiful readers! Here are my notes:**  
 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or any of the characters. (heartbroken).**  
 **Reviews, comments, and kudos give me life and keep me going.**  
 **And, as always, thank you for reading, you beautiful, beautiful people.**  
 ****We're gonna start moving fast now, people. Like I've said before, I don't really like S6 or S7, so we're gonna breeze on through them as much as possible. If you really love those seasons, I'm sorry, but I don't, lol.**


	80. It's Gone

"Is he speaking in tongues?"

"You speaking in tongues? And God dammit, Piper, get away from him."

Piper rolled her eyes and ignored her husband to continue wiping the blood off of Sam's face with a damp cloth. Dean had beaten him to a pulp, and even if he _wasn't_ human, he still looked enough like Sam that she couldn't suppress the need to clean him up.

Sam's brow furrowed. "No! Are… Are you _diagnosing_ me?"

"You'd better hope he can," Dean said darkly.

"You really think this is-"

"What?" Dean snapped. "You think that there's a clinic out there for people who just pop out of hell wrong?" Piper felt his hands on her shoulders and she let him pull her away from his brother. She gave him a pass, because no matter what he said, he _did_ get tunnel vision when it came to Sam. Piper blamed John Winchester. _Take care of Sammy, indeed,_ she thought bitterly

Dean pointed at Sam. "He asks, you answer! Then you shut your hole. Got it?"

Castiel turned back to Sam. "How much do you sleep?"

Sam hesitated, then, "I don't."

Piper blinked. "At all?"

"Not since I got back."

"And it never occurred to you that there might be something _off_ about that?!" Dean snarled.

Sam rolled his eyes, and the gesture was so familiar that it made Piper's heart ache, even through her shock. "Of course it did, Dean. I, I just never told you."

" _What?"_

Castiel tilted his head and considered Sam closely. "Sam, what are you feeling right now?"

Sam scoffed. "I feel like my nose is broken."

The angel shook his head. "No, that's a physical sensation. How do you _feel?"_

"Well, I think-"

" _Feel,"_ Castiel insisted.

Sam blinked. "I… Don't know."

Castiel stood and began to unbuckle his belt. Piper's eyes widened, and she saw similar confusion on Sam and Dean's faces. "What-"

Cass ignored all three of them and leaned down to fold the belt in half and put Sam's mouth. "Bite down on this. If there is some place that you find soothing, you should go there. In your mind."

Piper couldn't help her little squeak when Cass sank his hand through Sam's chest. Dean's arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her close. She turned and buried her face in his chest, unwilling to watch one of her two favorite people on the planet be tortured.

When the grunting ceased, she turned back around. "Did you find anything?"

Cass was rolling his sleeve back down. "No."

"So that's good news?" Dean asked hopefully.

"I'm afraid not. Physically, he's perfectly healthy."

Piper cocked an eyebrow. "But?"

Castiel sighed. "It's his soul. It's gone."

Dean blinked, then scoffed. "Um, I'm sorry. One more time. Like I'm five. What do you mean, he's got no-"

"Somehow," Cass interrupted firmly, "when Sam was resurrected, it was without his soul."

"Do you know where it is?" Piper asked.

"My guess is still in the cage with Michael and Lucifer."

Piper's eyes widened. _Oh, no. Poor Sam._ Being trapped in a cage with two pissed off archangels did not sound like a good time.

"So… Is he even still Sam?" Dean asked, horrified.

"Well, you pose an interesting philosophical question."

 **xxxxx**

"I saw you walk that alpha out the door, Sam. Now, call me crazy, but that seems weird."

Piper leaned against the Impala and watched the brothers face off. They had found out that Samuel had come back _with_ his soul, and that he had no clue why he'd been brought back, either. At least, he claimed to have no clue. Piper harbored suspicions.

The Campbell clan had been planning a hunt when they'd pulled up, so the three of them had tagged along. It had seemed to go fine, but they'd witnessed Sam, Samuel, and Christian shoving the blindfolded alpha vamp into a van before driving away. Not, however, before Samuel had told Piper and Dean that the vamp was already being burned.

Something was definitely up with her in-laws.

Sam sighed. "Oh."

Dean scowled. _"Oh?"_

"You guys weren't supposed to know about that."

"Know about what, Sam?" Piper asked softly, shooting Dean a quelling look. Even if Sam _was_ sans emotions right then, there was no reason to be a dick. Unfortunately, Dean had the capacity to really shine as a dick, so she tried to mediate.

"It's just something Samuel's been doing. Catching things, taking them somewhere, grilling them for info."

Dean scoffed. "'Grill.' Torture, right? And not telling us, that was his idea?"

"No, it was mine," Sam said simply.

Piper frowned. "What? Why?"

"Because you'd mess it up." At Dean's indignant noise, he elaborated. "You shoot first, ask questions later, and we needed to ask questions."

"Oh, I'd ask questions, all right," Piper said softly, anger fizzing beneath her skin. "Like 'what the fuck is going on?' And, 'why are we _torturing_ monsters when we should _just be killing them?""_

Dean was nodding. "You know, I don't care if you've got soullnessness or the fuckin' mumps, man. You _know_ better than this! Do you even _want_ your soul back?"

Sam frowned. "How does that have anything to do-"

"Have you been to the place where Samuel takes them?" Piper interrupted. "Have you sat in on these 'interrogations?'"

"No, but I hear-"

"And it never occurred to you that this is really shady?" Dean snapped

"He's our grandfather."

"Yeah, yeah, a guy who talks a good game. But you can't assume that family means the same thing to him as it does to us. He's not Dad." Dean studied his brother for a long moment before realization dawned on his handsome face. "You don't see it, do you?"

"What?"

"You've got no instinct. I mean, you are seriously fucked up."

Sam's eyebrows went up. "Thanks."

Dean shook his head. "I'm not kidding, man. Nobody's forcing you to work with us, okay? But if we do this, _we_ drive the bus, _we_ call the shots, and you tell us _everything._ Whether you think it's important or not. Because, and you'll have to trust me here, you don't know the difference." He threw his hand in the air. "Or, you know what, go. Go with Samuel, see how that goes. It's up to you."

 **xxxxx**

"You don't know anything about me, son."

Piper kept her shotgun trained on Samuel as Dean spoke. "So, what's so important that you're the king of hell's cabana boy, huh? What'd he offer you? Girls? Money? Hair?" She would have laughed if not for the seriousness of the situation.

"I got my reasons," Samuel snapped. He looked over to Piper. "You gonna make a move, sweetheart? Go ahead."

She pumped the shotgun without flinching. "Or what, exactly?" she asked softly, never wavering.

Samuel sighed. "Or nothing. I'm not gonna do anything to you guys. You kids… You're my family. So the way I see it, you've got two choices. Put a bullet in your husband's grandfather, or step aside."

Piper stared him down for a long moment before dropping her gun. They didn't kill humans. That wasn't their job.

So she was surprised when she heard a gun cock. She looked over and her eyes widened when she saw Sam holding his pistol to Samuel. "He sold us out," Sam said tonelessly.

Dean came to stand next to his brother. He put his hand on Sam's and guided the gun down, away from Samuel. "I know, let it go."

"Why?" Sam asked sharply.

Instead of answering, Dean looked at Samuel. His face was hard and angry. "Get out of here," he said, his voice soft and dangerous. The three of them watched him leave, then turned toward each other.

"What do we do now?" Piper asked.

"Well, we can't work for Crowley," Dean said, as if it was obvious.

"Are you sure about that?" Piper asked gently, putting her hand on Dean's arm. She didn't see how many other options they had, not if they wanted Sam's soul back.

Dean shook his head. "I don't think you understand. Demons bone you every time."

"Oh, no, I get it," Sam insisted, "I do, believe me. I'm just running the math here. Do we really have another choice?"

Dean shrugged. "We could stab him in his throat."

"And get my soul back how? I'm just saying, seems like we gotta play ball, at least for the moment."

Dean ran his hand through his hair. "Man, I have done some stupid things in my time, but punching a demon's clock?"

"Just until we find a way around it," Piper said soothingly.

Sam nodded. "And then we track Crowley down and give that son of a bitch what's coming to him."

 **xxxxx**

Dean _hated_ this. He hated that Sam didn't have a soul, he hated that Piper was in the backseat and not next to him, and he _hated_ working for _fucking Crowley._

"So, the vic's a real class act," Sam said, while looking at the police reports. "Owned a bunch of slum-grade apartments. Couple of houses, too."

Frustrated beyond belief, Dean snapped. "So this is it? This is… this is what you're gonna do?"

Piper sighed from the backseat, and Sam frowned. "What am I doing?"

" _Crowley._ He's so far up our asses, we're, we're, we're coughing _sulfur._ But you, you're just gonna work the case?"

Dean knew that Piper was frustrated that he didn't seem to be able to power through it, but he just _couldn't._

He couldn't stop thinking about the last normal day they'd had together. They'd had the day off, so they'd spent the morning in whatever the hell a farmer's market was. He'd just followed his wife around, watching her laugh with people, lighting up everyone around her. Then they'd gone home and crashed on the couch. Dean had woken up on his back, with Piper curled up on top of him, with Monster curled up on her back. It had been the most peaceful he'd ever felt.

And now, a few short weeks later, they were working for the king of hell.

"Well, he's got us by the short and curlies," Sam protested. "What else are we supposed to do?"

"It's just, you know, man, I…" Dean took a deep breath. "I'm working for a demon now. I don't even know who you are, I just… I need a second to adjust."

He felt Piper's arms wrap around him from behind, and her cheek came to press to his. He felt himself relax under her touch. No matter how frustrated she may or may not have been, her soft skin pressed to his made something deep in him feel lighter every time.

"Look," Sam said softly. "This is a crap situation. I get it. But, Dean, I _am_ still me. Same melon, same memories. I, I still like the same music. I still think about Suzie Heizer."

Piper smiled. "Biology class Suzie Heizer?"

Sam grinned at her. "Can you blame me? Look, I know you don't trust me. And I can't take back what I did. But I'm going to prove it to you. I'm still your brother."

 **xxxxx**

"I'll never look at a dog the same," Dean said, shuddering. "Makes you wonder, though, huh?"

Piper smiled at him from her place next to Sam. They were sitting at a picnic table next to a river, and it was kind of peaceful. Piper missed peaceful.

The case had been… Fucked, to put it lightly. A shapeshifter living with a family, a huge "pack" of shapeshifters turning families. They'd damn near died in that warehouse. Piper had almost gotten eaten by a _Doberman,_ of all things.

"What?" Sam asked.

Sam was still soulless and just so slightly _off._ It had been a rough couple of days.

"How many packs are out there?" Dean asked as he took the seat across from them. "What if they're all just waiting for the signal, you know?"

Sam shrugged, then looked at Dean. "So, I was thinking. You were right."

Dean frowned. "About?"

"I'm not your brother. You were right."

Piper's eyes widened, and Dean met her gaze and tilted his head. She received the silent signal, got up from where she was sitting, and moved over to sit next to Dean. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Um," Sam said after watching her move, "All that 'blah, blah, blah' about being the old me? Shit. Like, Piper? That whole…" He waved his hand at the two of them, indicating Piper's moving seats. "Thing that just happened? I've been acting like I care about that. I don't. I couldn't care less."

"Is this supposed to make us feel better?" Piper asked faintly.

Sam shrugged. "You wanted the real me. This is it. I don't care about them. I don't even really care about _you."_ Piper slipped her arm around Dean's waist when she felt him flinch.

"Except that… I need your help. And you're clearly not gonna stick around for much longer unless I give it to you straight, so... I've done a lot worse than you know. I've killed innocent people in the line of duty. But I'm pretty sure it's not something the old me could've done. And maybe I should feel guilty. But I don't."

"Sam," Dean said tightly. "Get to the punchline."

Sam nodded. "I don't know if how I am is better or worse. It's different. You get the job done, and nothing really hurts. That's not the worst thing. But I've been thinking. And it was... It was kinda harder. But there are also things about it I remember that I... Let's just say I think I should probably go back to being him."

They were silent for a long time before Dean spoke again. "That's… Very interesting. It's a step."

"So?"

"We do what we got to do. And we get my brother back."

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi, beautiful readers! Here are my notes:**  
 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or any of the characters. (heartbroken).**  
 **Reviews, comments, and kudos give me life and keep me going.**  
 **And, as always, thank you for reading, you beautiful, beautiful people.**  
 ****I am SO sorry this update took so long. This was a busy week for me. I don't know if anyone cares about the particulars, but I got my first tattoo last week (yay! and ow!), and also last week, a two week old puppy came into my care. She's very healthy and doing well, but her sister came to me a few days later, and she's extremely small and sick. They require round-the-clock care, so I've been pretty out of it. But they're doing a lot better! I've got some experienced in neonatal care for pets, so I think they're gonna be fine. :) Thanks for sticking with me, beautiful readers!**  
 ****Is this okay for S6 and 7? I'm really just kind of picking and choosing the parts of episodes that move the overarching plot along. There are a couple of episodes we'll get into deeper, but this is the plan for now. Thoughts?**


	81. Better Off Without It

**There is an obnoxiously long author's note at the end... Feel free to ignore, it's mostly rambling, lol.**

 **xxxxx**

"Okay, if you want to add glitter to the glue you're sniffing, that's fine, but don't dump your whackadoo all over us. We'd rather not step in it."

Piper's eyes widened, and she smiled tightly as she put a hand on Sam's arm to drag him away. The kind woman they'd been speaking with look shocked. "I'm so sorry," Piper said over her shoulder, "He has a blood sugar disorder. Again, my apologies."

"The only thing you're missing is a couple dozen cats, sister," Sam said loudly, though he did let Piper pull him.

When they were far enough away, she groaned. _"Jesus,_ Sam"

He just looked at her. "What?" At her eye roll, he continued. _"What?_ I'm sorry, but this is all a big joke, right? We're not actually taking this UFO shit seriously, right?"

She sighed. "Of course not. But there are four actual, legitimate disappearances in this town, and that's what we're here for." She rubbed her temples hard and hoped that Dean would be back soon with coffee. Which she wouldn't mind having a healthy shot of whiskey being added to.

"That's not why you're mad."

Piper took another deep breath and met his eyes. "I'm not mad. I'm just… I miss the old you. He would have said something sweet to her, not… Whatever the hell that was."

"The old me had a soul."

She nodded. "Right. And you don't care."

"Look, Pipe," the old nickname made her flinch, but he either didn't notice or, more likely, didn't give a damn. "You obviously care, a lot, and that's great. But I can't care about… I can't care about it, you know? What do you want me to do, fake it?"

She really thought about it for a moment, then shook her head. "No, that was worse. Just… Let Dean and I be your conscience, okay? Because you definitely can't do it yourself."

 **xxxxx**

Later that night, Piper was fighting to keep her cool, but she was about an inch away from strangling her brother-in-law.

"So," he said casually, eyeing a woman who was approaching and eyeing him back. "They're real. UFO's."

Dean had been taken by… _Whatever_ it was that was attacking the town. Anxiety and fear was making Piper tense and snippy, especially when held in contrast to Sam's serene demeanor.

Which was pretty much the sole reason she was about to strangle him.

"Like I said before, the truth is out there," the sanctimonious little prick who was "leader of the UFO hunters" said. He, too, was about to be strangled.

"Look," she snapped. "How do we hunt them? I need to know how to find them."

He chuckled. "You and me both."

Piper inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. _Do not assault him, do not assault him, do not-_

"This is it?" Sam's skeptical question had her eyes opening again. She looked over at him. He was perusing the few pamphlets the little "UFO hunter" had to offer.

Wayne frowned. "Well, I'd say that thirty years of eyewitness accounts speak for themselves as irrefutable proof-"

Piper's temper snapped. "Look, my husband, his brother, was taken. We're good on _proof."_

The woman Sam had been eye-fucking gasped on the other side of him. Piper closed her eyes and prayed for patience when Sam turned to her.

"Oh, my God," the girl whispered, "your brother was taken?"

"It's fine," Sam said, sounding remarkably more cheerful than he had before. "I mean, I've had time to adjust."

The girl made a sympathetic sound. "Oh, did it happen when you were kids?"

"No," Piper snarled, completely at the end of her rope. "It was half an hour ago." She turned back to Wayne. "So, you've been doing this for over three decades, and you've got nothing? No proof, no workable leads?"

Wayne sputtered. "Well, I-"

"Have you considered the possibility that you _suck_ at hunting UFO's?" Sam asked, turning back toward Wayne.

"I'd like to help," the girl said softly to Sam, innuendo lacing her tone and making Piper murderous. "If I can."

" _Nope,"_ Piper snapped, grabbing Sam's arm and dragging him away. "Thanks, though!"

She was a little surprised Sam let her drag him again, but didn't push her luck. She had a husband to find, she had no time for nonsense.

"Okay, so, I don't get to hook up with the hippie chick?"

She rolled her eyes and stopped. _"No,_ of course not."

"Why not? I mean, there are no more leads for the night. Am I just supposed to sit around and suffer? Even when there's nothing that can be done?"

"Look, I'm not as into the whole 'angst for no reason' thing as Dean and you… Well, the _old_ you, but yeah, pretty much. We're filled with anxiety, Sam."

"And… Okay, I'm just making sure, but can't we do all that _and_ I bang the hippie chick?"

"No!"

He looked at her consideringly. "I mean, you know, if you want to join, I'd be down for that, and she seemed like a pretty laid-back chick. And you've always been hot-"

" _No!_ Oh, my God, Sam," she groaned. "No one's banging anyone!"

"It'd be in the dark."

Piper shrieked a little, making him jump, then took a calming breath. "Sam, no, you're not banging anyone. I'm upset, and you would be too, and we can't just turn that off for the night."

She _was_ upset. Not only was she scared for Dean, she wanted him by her side, dealing with his damn brother. Having Sam around was like having a huge, soulless, borderline sociopathic toddler with her. It was too much.

"So," Sam said slowly. "You're saying that having a soul equals suffering."

Piper shook her head. "No, for fuck's sake, that's not what I'm saying. It also gives you happiness and devotion and love."

"But it also means suffering?"

 _God, grant me patience._ "Yes, Sam. it also means suffering. Now shut up."

 **xxxxx**

The case was over, and Dean was damn grateful.

Piper leaned against him until he wrapped his arm around her. They were standing by the car, Dean and Sam drinking, and Piper just there, worried eyes on the younger Winchester.

It had been fairies, of all things, that had taken him. He had microwaved one (which he felt a vicious sort of pleasure about, they had _abducted_ him for fuck's sake), and they had fought the rest off. Piper had been the one who'd dumped the shaker of salt, giving Sam the time to complete the banishment ritual. That's what Dean had been told, anyway. He'd been in jail.

Piper had also told him that the fairy had offered Sam a deal to get his soul back, but Sam had refused and banished him without appearing to have a second thought about it. That troubled Dean, so he tucked his wife close to him and raised his beer to Sam.

"Here's to the tiniest DA. At least he's dropping the charges." Dean had attacked someone who he'd thought was a fairy, due to the man's small stature. Not only had he been a normal, _human,_ little person, he'd also been a DA. It had not been a proud moment for Dean.

Sam smiled. "Little big man."

Dean let a beat pass, then, "I was wondering something."

"Yeah?"

"You think Lucky Charms really could have, you know, soul to sender?"

Sam's eyes slid to Piper, and Dean's arm tightened around her. Sam hadn't been the one to tell him about the offer, Piper had, and Dean felt an urge to get between his brother and his wife again.

"Come on," Sam scoffed. "It's crazy to think. He did talk a good game, though."

"You said no," Dean persisted. "Why?"

Sam shrugged. "It was a deal. When's a deal ever been a good thing?"

"I'm just trying to figure out how it works in there."

"Dude, I _do_ still have all my brain cells. If anything, my brain works better now."

"We're just making sure that's where your head's at," Piper said softly. "That you're not having any second thoughts about getting your soul back."

Sam blinked. "Oh."

"You're… You're not, right?" Dean asked, suddenly worried.

"No."

 **xxxxx**

"You know, Cass, you could help."

They were getting ready to break into the warehouse Crowley was holed up in. Dean was tired of working with Crowley, Sam thought that was their best shot at getting his soul back, and they were working with Meg.

In Piper's not-at-all-sought-after opinion, the situation was fucked.

 _At least Cass is here,_ she thought to herself. She smiled at the angel, and was gratified when his face softened a little. For Cass, that was as good as a declaration of familial devotion.

Then he looked back at Dean, and the kindness on his features drained away. "I am ambivalent about what we're attempting."

Dean snorted. "Well, breaking into monster Gitmo isn't exactly a two-for-one in the champagne room."

"I'm not sure retrieving Sam's soul is wise."

Piper frowned. "Why?"

"I want him to survive."

Piper blinked. "What do you mean?" She put a hand on Dean's chest to stop the tirade he was about to go on. She could _sense_ the outrage.

Castiel met her eyes, then Dean's. "Sam's soul has been locked in the cage with Michael and Lucifer for more than a year. And they have nothing to do but take their frustrations out on him. You understand?" Piper's blood ran cold as he continued. "If we try to force that mutilated thing down Sam's gullet, we have no idea what will happen. It could be catastrophic."

"You mean he dies," Dean said tightly.

"I mean, he _doesn't._ Paralysis. Insanity. Psychic pain so profound that he's locked inside himself for the rest of his life."

Piper felt her stomach turn. "Oh, no," she whispered.

"But you're saying you don't know anything for sure," Dean insisted. "He could be fine."

" _Dean,"_ she protested. "Just… Hear him out."

Castiel nodded. "He could be, yes. But I sincerely doubt it."

Piper turned to her husband. "Dean, baby, come on. We have to at least hear Cass out. He… He knows more about this than we do. And I know this situation is terrible, and that we miss Sam, but what if this isn't what's best for him?"

He looked down at her for a moment, and she thought maybe she was getting through to him.

Then he looked back up at Cass. "Well, if he's not fine, then you fix him."

Piper closed her eyes in defeat. _God dammit._

Cass's face fell. "Dean, I wouldn't know where to begin."

"Then you figure it out, Cass!" Dean shouted, anger tightening his face. "Come on, I mean, the guy's a fucking _replicant._ He needs his soul. Look, we get it back, and if there _are_ complications, then we'll figure out a way to deal with those, too."

"Of course," Castiel said simply. Dean had turned away to finish packing for the hunt when the angel spoke again. "Or we fail, and Sam suffers horrifically."

 **xxxxx**

The raid was done, and Piper felt very tired.

Samuel had betrayed him, and Piper had no doubt in her heart that Dean would put a bullet in his grandfather the next time they saw him. Dean didn't threaten family unless he really, really meant it.

Crowley had captured them, imprisoned them, and then had almost outsmarted them. He would have, had it not been for Castiel saving their asses with the bag of Crowley's bones. Castiel had gotten the information in just a few moments that they'd been trying all night to get. It reminded Piper that her sweet, awkward friend was, in fact, a warrior of heaven.

They were standing next to Baby, getting ready to leave. Apparently, Dean had been reminded that Castiel wasn't just their friend, too. "Thanks, Cass. If it hadn't been for you-"

"Crowley was right," Castiel said with a frown. "It's not going well for me upstairs."

Dean frowned, too. "If there's anything we can do-"

"There isn't." The angel seemed to think for a moment. "I wish circumstances were different. Much of the time I'd rather be here."

It tugged at Piper's heart. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. "Cass, if you need anything, you tell us. You don't need to apologize to us, we're your family."

He sighed and hugged her back hard, making her smile a little into his chest. Since he had gotten the gist of hugging, he was getting very good at it. Comfort washed through her, and she leaned against him for a moment.

When she stepped back, they smiled at one another, then he let his slip from his face when he looked up at Sam. "Listen, Sam. We'll find another way."

Sam sounded cold when he responded. "You really wanna help? Prison full of monsters. Can't just leave 'em, can't let 'em go."

Castiel nodded. "I understand." He disappeared with the flutter of wings.

Piper turned and tried to look reassuring. "He's right, Sam."

He just looked at her again. "About what?"

Dean glared. "About your soul. We'll figure something else out."

Sam shook his head. "No, we won't."

"Why?" Piper asked. "Just because Crowley said-"

" _You_ heard what Crowley said. And _I_ heard what Cass said. Putting that thing back in would fuck me six ways to Sunday."

Piper winced, feeling like they'd been caught red-handed. "I'm-" she began to apologize.

"We don't know that for sure!" Dean snapped.

Sam scoffed. "You know what? When angels and demons agree on something, call me nuts, I pay attention."

"You say this now?!" Dean yelped. "After we practically died trying to-"

"Exactly! We almost got ourselves killed. I mean, how many times do we risk our asses for this? Enough's enough."

Dean opened his mouth to argue again, but Piper put a hand on his arm. "Let's table the discussion for now, guys," she said softly. "It's been a long day and tempers are high. Let's just go home."

Sam, however, apparently had other plans. "I think I'm better off without it."

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi, beautiful readers! Here are my notes:**  
 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or any of the characters. (heartbroken).**  
 **Reviews, comments, and kudos give me life and keep me going.**  
 **And, as always, thank you for reading, you beautiful, beautiful people.**  
 ****I'm so sorry for the delay in this chapter, guys. A week ago, I decided to take a break from writing and read a few new stories, to refresh myself, and as an exercise to improve my own work... And I promptly got sucked right into at least 15 new stories, which I read and loved. Promptly after *that,* I went into kind of a downward spiral of, "These are so good. I can't write like this. Why would anyone want to read what I write when these stories are available?" So I avoided writing my stories and reading the stories I usually keep up with by just freaking devouring other fanfiction, to procrastinate. That was a fun week, let me tell YOU. Luckily, my husband (who is known in my family as the Patron Saint of Husbands), saw this and suggested I go through and read some comments/reviews of my stories. He thought I should revisit what the people who actually read my stories think of them. And, because he is a stone cold genius, it worked like a charm. So here I am, again, thanking you guys for being here. The fanfiction community has become a huge part of my life in a very short time, and I can't tell you how beautiful it is to me. You guys are amazing.**  
 ****Special shoutout to infinity_dreamchaser, peddlergirl, Samsgirlfriend, beckini, and Happygoddess2003. You guys have been with me from the beginning of my journey here, and it's beautiful, and I freaking love you people. 3**  
 ****I honestly have such a soft spot for those of you who follow Dean and Piper's story. It's by far my least popular fic (market saturation, I suspect), and doesn't have any extra elements of the supernatural, but you guys stick with me anyway. I just love you guys.**


	82. Don't Do Anything

They were working a relatively simple vengeful spirit case when Piper started to get a pounding headache in her temples. She ignored it and worked through the pain. The last few weeks had been extremely stressful, with Sam running around soulless and Dean seeming bound and determined to get that soul back come hell or high water, no pun intended.

As they spoke to the victim, she felt goosebumps break out up and down her back, making her shiver. She assumed it was another symptom of stress, both because of the last few weeks, and because of the very recent occurrence of Sam damn near just coming out and _saying_ that he thought the victim was a slut in front of her grieving parents. _God give me patience._

When they were back at the motel, trying to find information on the girl they thought had come back as a ghost, she got cold, and her throat began to ache. She didn't think much about it, just wrapped herself in Dean's coat (which always seemed warmer to her, no matter where they were or how warm her own coat was) and kept researching.

Dean was trying to lose himself in the case, working with a fervor she hadn't seen in quite a while. He wanted to forget that Sam didn't have a soul, and that by all accounts so far there was nothing they could do about it. So she did everything she could to help him, pushing away at her own exhaustion to try to find this damn ghost.

 **xxxxx**

Dean was absorbed in research. He was avoiding the fact that his brother was some sort of soulless goddamn robot by letting himself be absorbed in the case. He'd barely even looked at his wife all day, not because he didn't want to, but because the tightness around her eyes reminded him of the situation they were in. So he didn't meet her eyes, and the most contact he'd had with her all day was to place a hand at the small of her back when they left the victim's parent's house.

Which was why, when her breathing hitched, he barely noticed.

When she pulled his coat around herself, he didn't look up.

It wasn't really until he had a question for her that Dean realized that something was wrong.

He thought that she had the cemetery records on her side of the table, and looked up to ask her about them. At which point, of course, it felt like a bucket of cold water was splashed over his racing, panicked mind.

He frowned. "Pipes."

She looked up and blinked at him. Her face was pale, except for two spots of color high on her cheeks. Her just this side of red hair lay limp against her temples, parts of it wild where she'd been running her hands through it in an attempt to comfort herself that was as familiar to him as everything else about her was. She'd been doing it since she was sixteen.

When she was _sick._

"Yeah?" she asked, and that made more alarm bells go off in his head. Piper wasn't a "yeah" kind of woman, she was a "yes" kind of woman. She was "how can I help you" instead of "what do you want." It was one of the things he loved about her, and it should have tipped him off when she'd slipped into his own informal way of speaking earlier in the day.

 _God dammit, Winchester._

He stood and came around to crouch next to her chair, ignoring his brother staring at the two of them for a moment. He brushed a lock of hair off of her forehead, frowning when he felt heat baking off of her, and stared into her eyes. They were too bright and feverish, and it made him frown harder. "Pipes, baby, why didn't you tell me you were sick?"

She blinked. "Um, oh. I… I dunno, we were busy. It didn't really matter."

Shock had his eyebrows shooting up. "Didn't really… Kitten, of _course_ it matters!"

She flinched away from his shout, and guilt made his stomach turn. Another sign she was sick. If Piper was feeling well and he yelled at her for no reason, she'd tear him a new one, not jerk away from him. Piper never flinched.

"Dean," she said reproachfully. "We don't have the kind of job where we can call in sick anymore." She smiled. "It's just the flu, handsome. I'll get some cold medicine and power through."

He shook his head and stood. He took her hands in his and tugged until she was sighing and standing. She leaned into him, pressing her face into his chest. He brought a hand up to cup her head, savoring the way she felt against him for a moment, before he looked over at his brother.

"Sam, case is yours."

Sam's eyebrows rose. "Really?"

Dean nodded. "Yeah. Whatever. Don't do anything I wouldn't do, but it's a _ghost,_ you got this. I'm gonna go take care of Piper."

She huffed. "I'm fine."

He looked down at her pretty, stubborn face. Her hazel eyes were narrowed, but she was swaying a little on her feet, and she had a death grip on the lapels of his coat that she had wrapped around her. He smiled. "Yeah, you _look_ real fine." He looked over at Sam. "We'll be in our room. Call if you need help."

The words _but don't need help_ rang in the air as he grabbed his and Piper's cell phones and their room keys to shove them into his back pocket. Then he knelt in front of his wife and scooped her into his arms, bridal style (which was a bit of a struggle because he wasn't as young as he used to be and Pipes was a little heavier now that she was dead-weighting it in his arms).

She whimpered in protest, but her breathing was a little labored and she pressed her face into his shoulder. "Dizzy," she muttered thickly.

"I know, kitten, I've got you."

He carried her to their room and somehow managed to get them inside with the door locked behind them. He set her down on the bed (more gratefully than he was willing to admit) and sat next to her. He reached up and pushed her hair out of her face again, marvelling at how she could still make his heart trip in his chest when she leaned into his touch. "Come on, kitten, let's get you into bed."

He gently pulled her into a sitting position, smiling when she leaned forward and pressed her face into his shoulder. He gently pushed his jacket off of her and she whined. "Cold," she whispered.

"I know, but you have a fever. Come on, let's get you cleaned up." She hmphed, which was so unlike her it made him grin. "I forgot how hostile you are when you're sick."

"Screw you, Winchester."

He laughed and brought her close to press a kiss to her sweaty forehead, loving her.

 **xxxxx**

Piper felt like everything was happening outside of herself. Like she was in a bubble that was thin enough to see and speak through, but not really get through. _Fever,_ her mind provided, but she just laid back and watched the world happen around her for a while.

Dean had wrapped her in one of his clean t-shirts and tucked her into bed. The cold medicine he'd given her was making her drowsy, so she sat up against the big pile of pillows her husband had bullied from the front desk and watched him order takeout.

When he hung up the phone, she felt her lips tilt up into a smile. "You're ridiculously good looking," she mused.

He looked up and grinned at her. "You're fun when you're out of it, Pipes."

She snorted. "I'm always fun." She thought about it for a beat. "Or maybe not. Maybe not with our lives."

He came to sit next to her on the bed again, one big hand resting on her knee. Even through the blankets and the fever, she felt his warmth bake down onto her leg. He tilted his head to look at her closely. "What are you talking about?"

She smiled, tickled that her taciturn husband, Dean "I Don't Have Feelings" Winchester, was asking her what she was talking about. She cringed internally. _Oh, God, I really am out of it._ "I just mean that we live… Really hard lives. It's hard to be easy-going or laid-back when your brother's soul is in hell with the devil." She wrinkled her nose. "And he hit on me."

Dean frowned. "The devil?"

For some reason, Piper's tired, sick mind found that _hysterical._ She tossed her head back and laughed, and it felt like she laughed for a long time before she calmed down enough to answer his question. "No," she gasped, "Sam. Sam… Propositioned me."

Dean's face became cloudy, and Piper became overwhelmed with the need to lean forward and run her thumbs along his cheekbones, trying to clear away his scowl. "What are you talking about, he 'propositioned' you?" he growled.

"He asked if I wanted to have sex with him and the hippie chick."

"What?"

"I said no," she said thoughtfully, still touching his truly incredible face. "You're the only person I want to have sex with, and I don't think the hippie chick was my type."

He stared at her for another moment, then closed his eyes, shook his head, and leaned toward her to press a kiss to her cheek. "You should get some sleep, kitten," he murmured against her.

She nodded. She was _tired._ "Okay."

He scooted her down and rearranged the pillows so she was on her side. She took a deep breath, feeling better than she had for two days. "Dean?"

"Yeah, Pipes?"

"Are you gonna come to bed?"

There was a beat of silence. "In a minute."

She drifted to sleep before she could reply.

 **xxxxx**

Piper slept for the next two days, and Dean watched her like a hawk.

He secretly enjoyed taking care of her while she was sick. He made sure she took steaming hot showers, took her medicine, and drank her body weight in water and broth each day. She let him, and was never quite as out of it as she had been that first day. She was just grumpy and tired, and he loved her all the more for it.

Dean sometimes felt like all he did was lean on Piper. Sam being soulless, after Sam had died in the pit, Sam being addicted to demon blood, Dean just getting back from hell, Dean being scared of going _to_ hell. Before that, before he'd been willing to admit that he was leaning on Piper, after his father had died, and they'd been on the search for revenge.

Through all of it, she'd stood next to him, weathered the storm with him, fought by his side. He sometimes looked at her, while they were researching or eating or any number of mundane tasks, and felt like he was drowning in love for her. Not that he'd _ever_ admit most of this out loud, but if Piper looked at him that day and said, "I want to move to Canada and become fishermen," Dean would probably just go ahead and follow her up north.

He was always following Piper.

But in these rare instances, when she was sick or upset, he got to take care of _her_ for a change. It made him feel useful, like maybe she wasn't getting the short end of the stick _all_ the time when it came to their marriage. Like, if it came right down to it, he could come through for her, too.

He was also good at taking care of sick people. He'd taken care of Sammy enough through childhood that he was an expert. Plus, Piper was a hell of a lot more fun to look at than Sam was, pale and sick though she was.

So Dean took care of his sick wife for two days. He made her sleep all day in his t-shirts, he pumped her full of food and fluids and medicine, and he spent most of those days watching TV on the bed, letting her feverish little body curl against his and shiver.

 **xxxxx**

Piper woke up on the third day feeling remarkably better. She was on her side, her head pillowed on Dean's warm, firm chest. She could tell that her fever had broken because she was covered in a thin sheen of sweat, making her wrinkle her nose in disgust. _Ew._

She got out of bed gently and slowly, trying not to wake him. When he continued sleeping, she smiled triumphantly and snuck into the bathroom to take a shower and try to tame the mess her hair had become.

When she was done, she felt even better, though she was still exhausted. She was hungry, too, for the first time in _days._ But when she came out of the bathroom, the bed, with its tangled sheets and her ruffled husband buried in it, was too inviting to pass up. So she pulled one of her own t-shirts on, thank you very much, and crawled back in next to him.

He turned to pull her close, burying his nose in her hair and breathing deep. "You smell good," he murmured.

She smiled and kissed his chest. "I imagine I haven't for a couple of days," she said softly, feeling a blush warm her cheeks.

He rearranged them so she was lying on his chest, smiling down at his handsome face. He cupped the back of her head and brought her down for a slow, lazy kiss, sending warmth spiralling down through her. "You were fine," he assured her against her lips. "Besides being a little extra mouthy, you were great."

Her mouth dropped open, and he laughed. "I was _not_ mouthy!"

He grinned and pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth. "Pipes, I love you, but you are the _worst_ when you're sick."

His warm teasing, the easy way he'd said "I love you," and his happy smile had tears trying to well up in her eyes. She tamped them down through sheer force of will, because he would think she was actually upset, when she was anything but.

She put a pout on her lips and narrowed her eyes when he laughed again. "All right then," she said archly, sliding away from him. "I was feeling _much_ better, and I was thinking we might indulge in some… _Extracurriculars,_ but if you think I'm the worst, then I wouldn't want to subject you to-"

She didn't even finish her taunt before he bucked his hips and pinned her to the bed. She gasped and closed her eyes slowly as he nuzzled her neck and her back arched of it's own accord. _"Dean."_

He smiled against her neck. "As long as you're feeling better, tell me about this hippie chick."

 **xxxxx**

Dean insisted on one more day of rest before they hit the road. So Piper wallowed in the day, spending all of it in bed with him, watching TV, screwing like rabbits or just cuddling in silence, soaking one another in. There weren't many days like this anymore, and she was going to bask in it.

 **xxxxx**

Dean watched Piper get dressed the next morning with a smile. She looked a lot better, with healthy color in her cheeks and a bounce back in her step. She was ready to get back to it.

He wrestled with the guilt he felt, assuring himself that this was the best option.

 _If I don't die, she's going to murder me._

He had figured out a way to get Sam's soul back. Piper was going to hate it, and she was probably going to disembowel him if he came through on the other side, but he had no other choice. Dean was finally willing to admit that Piper was right, he had a touch of tunnel vision when it came to Sam.

 _Once Sammy's got his soul back, everything will be fine,_ he assured himself.

He just hoped she would be able to forgive him for the stupid, dangerous, reckless way he was going to try.

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi, beautiful readers! Here are my notes:**  
 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or any of the characters. (heartbroken).**  
 **Reviews, comments, and kudos give me life and keep me going.**  
 **And, as always, thank you for reading, you beautiful, beautiful people.**  
 ****Hi, I'm back. I missed you guys. I don't even have a good excuse for why this update took too long, except anxiety/depression/apathy/bleh.**  
 ****I felt the need for a little fluff for Dean and Pipes.**


	83. Tell Me What You Did

_Pipes,_

 _I'm going to go get Sam's soul back. Too dangerous for both of us. Should be back soon._

 _Try not to be too mad at me._

 _Love you._

 _Dean_

 **xxxxx**

"I'm going to murder him," Piper said thoughtfully. She took a sip of her coffee and stared at the note her husband had left on her pillow that morning.

"Yeah, well, he has it comin'," Bobby said with a nod as he sat across from her with his own coffee.

She sighed deeply. "Do you have any idea where he went?"

"He was gone before I woke up."

"Well. Shit."

 **xxxxx**

"Just hear me out," Dean tried to say calmly, but it came out more irritated than anything. _Dammit._

"I _heard_ Cass and Crowley! When they said it would either kill me or turn me to Jell-O, Dean!" Sam snapped. "I heard enough!"

"Death said he can put up a wall, that… That… Basically, you wouldn't remember hell."

Sam frowned. "Really?"

Dean nodded. "Really."

"For good? Like a cure?"

Dean winced. "Um, no. Not like a cure. It… He said it could last a lifetime."

Sam threw his hands in the air. "Great. Playing pretty fast and loose with my life here, don't you think, Dean?"

Dean was starting to get angry. Both at Sam, who was objecting so hard to this, and at Bobby and Piper, who were just standing there, watching them argue. "I'm trying to _save_ your life!"

"Exactly, Dean! It's _my_ life! My life, my soul. And it sure as hell ain't your head that's gonna explode when this whole 'scheme' of yours goes sideways!"

"Just curious," Bobby said softly. "I presume Death's not doing this out of the goodness of his heart. So what's your half of the deal?"

Wincing, Dean looked up at the ceiling, unsure if he wanted to see the emotions in Bobby or Piper's eyes.

" _I'm_ sorry," Bobby said scathingly. "I didn't get that."

Dean sighed. "He, uh, he wants me to wear the ring for a day."

"Why would he want you to do that?" Piper's voice was surprisingly soft, reserved.

It made Dean nervous as hell. "I don't know. Get his rocks off? But I'm doing it." The sound of movement had his head turning to see Sam walking out. "Where are you going?"

Sam sighed, but didn't turn around. "Look, I hear you, all right? I get it. I just need a minute to wrap my head around it, all right?" He walked out.

Dean looked over at Bobby, whose expression was unreadable as he started to leave into the living room. "You're a moron," the older man said thoughtfully as he walked by.

Finally, Dean looked at Piper. Her head was tilted, and he couldn't figure out what emotion was shining in her pretty eyes as she stared at him.

"So," she said gently, "You spoke with Death."

Dean knew where this was going. "Uh, yeah."

"Face-to-face."

"Yeah." He took a step back.

"You know, usually, to speak with Death, you have to _die."_

Dean swallowed hard, a little thrill of apprehension making his stomach twist. "Uh, yeah."

"God _dammit,_ Dean!" The swirling anger and fear in her voice made him want to approach her, to sweep her in his arms. He suspected that that was not a wise course of action, however, so he stayed where he was.

"Piper, come-"

She held her hand up. "No, no, _no._ You are not 'Piper, come on' or 'Piper, baby'ing your way out of this, Dean Winchester." There were tears in her eyes, and her chest was heaving. "I'm so fucking mad at you, I could _spit,"_ she snarled, turning her face away to look out the back door.

He winced and took a step forward. Something in him froze when she stepped back and crossed her arms, still not looking at him. "Piper-"

"Shut up, Dean," she said softly. "Tell me what you did." She wouldn't meet his eyes. "Tell me who you got to kill you."

"Pipes…"

"Tell me." There was no give in her voice, no room for argument.

Hesitantly, he told her about Dr. Robert, about having his heart stopped. He told her about summoning Tessa, which somehow caught Death's interest, and about the conversation he'd had with the horseman.

When he was done, he had taken another step toward her. She was within arm's reach now, and it took everything Dean had not to touch her, but he knew it wouldn't be welcome. He could count on one hand how many times Piper had been well and truly mad at him, and this was taking the top of the list.

"I don't even know what to say," she whispered, a tear finally falling down her cheek. His heart ached when she wiped it away angrily. "Why wouldn't you… Why wouldn't you _tell_ me?"

 _Because you would have stopped me._ "Because I didn't want you to get hurt, kitten."

She stiffened at his use of the pet name and finally turned to meet his eyes. "No. No, I think you didn't tell me because I would have stopped you." She let out a choked, harsh laugh. "Or, at least, I would have tried."

He frowned. "Piper-"

She took a deep, shaky breath, clearly struggling to keep it together. "No, no, stop. I just… You _lied_ to me."

"What?!"

Her hazel eyes were snapping fire at him. "A lie of omission is still a lie, Dean. You knew you were going to do this, you left me that half-assed, ridiculous note, and then you _went to go literally get yourself killed."_

"Piper-"

"What would have happened if they couldn't revive you?" She snapped, her voice raising again. "What am I supposed to do when you go off on these kamikaze missions, Dean?" She took a step forward, and while part of him was grateful she was near him, the rest of Dean was distinctly nervous that she was about to hit him. "How many times are we going to do this? Where you just _decide_ that you're willing to die for something, and I have to sit back and watch it happen?"

Another harsh laugh escaped her lips, and it felt like Dean had been punched in the gut. "You go on and on, telling me that Sam's not your only priority, that you don't have tunnel vision, but Jesus _fucking_ Christ, Dean, what is this? If this wasn't tunnel vision, then what the hell was it?"

She finally moved, but not to swing. She just took that last step forward, wrapped her arms around his waist, and buried her face in his chest. Dean immediately put his arms around her to keep her close, pressing his nose into her hair and breathing in deeply. "I'm sorry, Pipes," he said roughly.

"Liar," she murmured into his chest, but there was little heat in the word. She leaned back to look up at him. "No more lies. No more lies of omission, no more deliberate lies, _nothing._ I can't do this if you aren't honest with me, Dean."

Dean's chest felt tight again as he looked at her, as she forced him to look at the situation from a perspective that was not his own. What _would_ have happened if they hadn't been able to revive him? Piper would have been left there, with just his stupid note and no him. If _she_ had pulled something like this, he'd be tempted to lock her in the panic room and never let her go.

And it was entirely possible that she had a distinct point about Sam. Dean felt like he was always fighting to keep Sam safe, or keep Sam sane, or just keep Sam with him. It was instinct, too deep for him to fight, and usually too deep for him to even question.

 _But damn if I ever give a second thought to how it's going to hurt Piper,_ he thought mournfully.

He put a hand on the back of her head and pulled her close to kiss her forehead. "I'm sorry, kitten," he whispered against her skin, hoping she could sense how much he meant it. "I'll be better, I'm sorry."

Apparently, she could, because she melted against him. "I know," she said softly. "Apology accepted."

They stayed like that for a long while before Dean tensed. "Shit, Sam's gonna go get that ring."

She chuckled and put her hand in her back pocket, pulling out Death's ring. "Please, like I wasn't prepared for that."

 **xxxxx**

The angel Balthazar was going through an array of emotions, which bothered him. Which was _another_ emotion.

He _hated_ Earth.

First, there was irritation when he was summoned. It was like standing on what one assumed was firm ground, then having the floor yanked out from under one's feet. It was gut-wrenching, and it always made his skin feel too tight and jumpy.

Second, there was _fury._ Fury that Sam Winchester, of _all_ things, had the audacity to be the one who summoned him. _Stupid little human twerp._

Third, confusion and horror when Sam revealed that Dean meant to put that mangled, barely-there, whimpering soul back into Sam's body.

"'Cause Michael and Luci are hate-banging it as we speak."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Can you help me?"

"Oh, yes. The question is, will I?"

"Name your terms."

Balthazar thought for a moment, then nodded. "I'll do it for free."

Sam frowned. "Free? Why?"

Balthazar shrugged. "Well, you seem like a capable young man. I'd love to have you in my debt. And I have to say, I'm not a fan of your brother, so screwing him would delight me." He clapped his hands. "Anyway, to business. The spell. Finding the ingredients are easy enough, but, uh, there's one tricky part."

Sam nodded, his face expressionless. Which made sense, since he didn't have a _soul._ "Okay."

Balthazar took a deep breath. "You need to scar your vessel."

Sam frowned. "What?"

"Meaning something that so pollutes it, it renders it uninhabitable. Calls for something very specific."

"Great. What?"

A beat of silence. "Fratricide."

"… Dean's busy, and he's going to be done with the ritual by the time I'm close enough to kill him."

Balthazar sighed. "To be clear, um, you need the blood of a sibling, but your sibling needn't be blood. Comprende?"

Sam nodded slowly, and Balthazar felt a fourth emotion for the day.

A pang of regret hit his chest, just a little, when he thought of Piper Winchester's wide, hazel eyes fading into cloudiness as she died.

 **xxxxx**

Piper watched carefully as Sam walked back in. He smelled like smoke, like a summoning spell, and her suspicions were immediately aroused.

"You were gone when I woke up," she said softly, watching impassively as he started. "Where did you go?"

He shrugged. "Just driving around. No biggie."

The problem with someone who didn't care was that they didn't care if they got _caught._ She couldn't tell if Sam was lying, so she just stared at him hard for a moment before forcing a smile onto her lips. "Breakfast?"

 **xxxxx**

Sam was going to try to kill her.

Piper didn't know how she knew, but some deep intuition was telling her to get the hell out of there. That part of her didn't want to know why, or how, or what the fuck was going on. That part of her just wanted her to _run._

Unfortunately for that part of her, the rest of her was burning with anger. She didn't know what was going on, or why this soulless counterpart to her sweet brother-in-law wanted to harm her, but she was determined to find out and put a stop to it.

Piper did not intend to be easy to kill.

They were playing poker, and she let a little smile linger as she stood. "Do you want another one?" she asked softly, pointing at the empty beer bottle in front of Sam.

He shrugged. "Sure."

This was it. She turned easily, tossed the empty into the recycling (which she had insisted Bobby get, she remembered a little hysterically) and walked toward the refrigerator.

Sam was _good._ Only because she knew he would try something did she sense him moving behind her at all. She lunged to the side, spinning to see him wielding a wrench. He stared her down, then took a step toward her.

"I'm real sorry about this, Pipe. This is just something I gotta do."

Piper retreated, moving them slowly out of the kitchen. "According to who?"

He took another step forward, and she took a corresponding step back. "It's a spell to keep Dean from getting that soul back into me. Just think how bad it could be if his plan goes sideways, Piper."

 _Just a little more._ "Dean says it'll be safe."

Sam shook his head and took the final step she needed him to. "Dean's flying blind, you know that. He doesn't care about the consequences, he just cares about getting that other guy back, no matter what it'll do to damage me _or_ him."

Piper just hit the lever that Bobby had built into the staircase and watched dispassionately as Sam fell through the trapdoor into the panic room. He landed with a grunt, and she leaned over to look in. "Sorry, Sammy," she said gently. "I'm really, _really_ unwilling to just lie down and let you kill me. So get comfy, you'll be there for a minute."

He didn't respond, so she stepped back and let the trap door slide shut. She flipped her phone open to call Bobby as she made her way down the stairs to keep an eye on Sam. Bobby had been called away for an emergency, and for the first time ever, Piper didn't feel safe being alone with Sam.

 _In all fairness to me, he's huge, and freakishly strong, and determined to murder me._

When she got to the basement, she listened as the phone went to voicemail. When she got to the door of the panic room, she opened the little window to look at Sam, hoping he wouldn't make so much noise that it would be difficult to leave a message.

It was a moot point. Sam was gone.

She barely had time to mutter, "Fuck!" before she felt a sharp pain at the back of her head and darkness flooded her vision.

 **xxxxx**

Dean was standing in the room of the teenager he'd refused to kill. The girl's spirit was staring at her father, who was starting to scream. "I can't just _leave_ him," she insisted. "It's not fair."

Guilt lanced through Dean again. "I know."

She turned to him and huffed. "Then why?"

Dean struggled for words to comfort her, and came up with nothing. "There's sort of a… A natural order to things."

"Natural order is stupid," she said firmly.

"Dean."

Dean spun, eyes wide as he took in Death standing behind him. He noticed Tessa tense next to him, too. "Wha-"

"We have to go. Now."

Before Dean could ask what was happening, they were in the basement of Bobby's house.

"Take the ring off and handle this situation," Death said dryly. "If I do it, Sam will die, and you will no doubt come crawling back to me to fix it."

Dean didn't have time to be indignant (Dean Winchester had never gone crawling to anyone in his _life)_ before he took in the scene in front of him.

Sam standing, knife in his hand, beginning to chant.

Bobby nowhere to be found.

Most importantly (always most important) was his wife, lying on the ground. Her face was turned away from him and her body was twisted a little, but he saw blood pooling from a wound to the back of her head.

" _Piper!"_

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi, beautiful readers! Here are my notes:**  
 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or any of the characters. (heartbroken).**  
 **Reviews, comments, and kudos give me life and keep me going.**  
 **And, as always, thank you for reading, you beautiful, beautiful people.**  
 ****I don't even have a good excuse, but I thought I was coming out of my depression, and then I tailspun into one of what was probably the worst low point I've ever gone through. One of my fosters (a 3 week old kitten, abandoned by mama) died, work got really, really stressful, and I just in general entered a grey mindset where nothing mattered to me. BUT! I made some changes, pretty significant ones, and I'm okay now. I wrote for the first time in three weeks today, which is pretty big progress. I usually like to have at least one chapter written ahead of the one I'm posting, but I feel so good today and I feel so bad for holding out on you guys that I couldn't put it off anymore.**  
 ****I love you guys. Thanks for sticking with me.**


	84. Can You Help Her?

_Warmth. Softness. Light._

 **xxxxx**

Dean, of course, had known from the moment he'd started to have feelings for her that he might lose Piper. He wasn't stupid, they were _hunters,_ it was _always_ going to end in blood. At some point in the future, one of them would have to figure out how to live without the other.

But that was supposed to be in the future. _We didn't have enough time,_ Dean thought hysterically as he sat at his wife's bedside. He hadn't gotten to see her pretty face curve into well-loved laugh lines, or watch her hair get a striking streak of grey. He hadn't gotten to pretend not to notice as she rolled her eyes when he bitched about getting older.

There just hadn't been enough _time._

 **xxxxx**

 _It reminded her very much of the white bedroom she used to go to._

 **xxxxx**

 _Cass, please, I'm begging you. It's for Piper. Please._

Dean would never be able to remember what had happened, exactly, between Death depositing him in Bobby's panic room and gently setting Piper on their bed. He knew that his knuckles were bloody and his hands ached, sending pain radiating all the way up to his elbows. He surmised that it had gotten rather violent.

He didn't care. It didn't matter. So _few_ things mattered to Dean just then.

Piper's pulse, which was weak but steady. Checking Piper's wound and keeping it clean. Making Piper as comfortable as possible.

The fact that, two days later, Piper _hadn't woken up yet._

Dean knew that, if he didn't get an answer from Piper's angelic best friend (he refused to acknowledge Castiel as his own friend just then), he would have to take her to the hospital. The only reason he was waiting was because he didn't want to answer their questions. He wouldn't be _able_ to answer their questions.

 _What happened? Why is her wound stitched already? Why did you wait so long to bring her in?_

There were no answers to those questions that wouldn't land him in jail. If he was in jail, he couldn't be with Piper, and he would put that off as long as possible.

 **xxxxx**

 _It was easy to stay there, basking in the serenity._

 _She knew she could choose to move forward, into an unknown, or backward, into a place where anguish and devotion somehow walked hand in hand._

 **xxxxx**

Sam watched through the open bedroom door as Dean kept his motionless vigil over Piper. His brother had barely moved from his place, holding Piper's hand and watching her with hollow eyes. He'd really only disturbed the strange stillness to check the gash on her head or her pulse.

It was fucking terrifying.

Two days before, Sam had woken up in the panic room at Bobby's. His confusion had quickly taken a backseat to elation when he'd laid eyes on Bobby, but had faded back into uneasiness when his surrogate father had been stiff and awkward. He'd also been incredibly unforthcoming when it had come to answering the multitudes of questions that Sam had. It was off-putting, especially since Bobby hadn't warmed up in the time since, either.

Dean, in the same vein, had spoken less than ten words since Sam had come up from the basement. He mostly answered in grunts or head shakes, rarely taking his eyes off of Piper. He'd greeted Sam's return from hell with a distracted clap on the shoulder.

That, more than anything else, told Sam that something more was going on.

Bobby had told him in hushed tones that a hunt had gone bad, and that was why Piper was lying on the bed, pale and horrifically still. Dean had agreed with another grunt.

Sam didn't buy it for a goddamn second. Something had happened. Worse yet, he was starting to suspect that whatever they had done to bring him back had gotten Piper hurt.

Bobby had found a case of girls going missing. Dean had shown absolutely no interest in going, which didn't surprise anyone, but Bobby wasn't going, either, which almost shocked Sam. The older hunter had always been willing to provide backup if one of them was going to hunt alone. Now, however, it was like he didn't want to… What? Be alone with Sam? That made no _sense._

Unless it was Sam's fault that Piper was bedridden, possibly dying.

Bobby was still strict about hunting in pairs, though, so when Sam decided to go ahead and take the case, he arranged for Garth to meet Sam there. Sam didn't mind Garth, skinny and weird though he may have been, but he had never been so acutely grateful for the other hunter.

Because for all that Garth was smart, resourceful, and a good hunter, he had another extremely important quality.

Garth was a goddamn pansy when it came to liquor.

 **xxxxx**

During those two days, Dean thought about a lot of things.

He thought about the way Piper had looked on their wedding day. She'd been radiant, beaming up at him in her pretty dress and her hair clouding around her face and her glowing eyes. God, he'd loved her so much that day, and it had just grown the longer they'd been together.

He thought about the way she was with Sam. The way she made them both be better men, the way she smoothed things over and nipped their fights in the bud before they got too bad. The way she stuck with them, the way it had never been a question in her mind to leave them. Piper had been there damn near from the beginning, and she'd intended to stay.

But mostly, surprisingly enough, he thought about John Winchester.

Dean didn't think about his father very often. When he did, it was always with an uneasy mix of adoration and resentment. It confused and bothered him to do so, so he avoided thoughts about the man as much as possible.

What he thought about as he sat at his wife's bedside _(deathbed)_ was the night he'd first kissed Piper, the Christmas just before he'd turned nineteen. The way her lithe, soft body had pressed against him, her lips moving against his, the desperate little whimpers that had driven him crazy.

The way his father had, in not so many words, told him that she was too good for him.

Dean had resented that for a long time, especially after he and Piper had finally become an item. _Piper_ had certainly thought he was good enough, and she'd had the best seat in the house to make the call, hadn't she? _Fuck you, Dad. She loves me, and I love her._

But as he held her still hand and watched her slow, rhythmic breathing, Dean thought maybe he understood now, what his father had meant.

It didn't matter that Dean loved her, or that she loved him, or that she was the best damn thing that had ever happened to him. What mattered was that Dean wasn't driven by what other men were driven by. He was driven by revenge, by violence, by world-ending, apocalyptic bullshit. And she was always, _always_ going to be caught up in it.

He was sitting next to her bed, her delicate hand pressed to his forehead, breathing hard. _I'm so sorry, kitten,_ he thought mournfully. _It's all my fault. It's always all my fault, fuck, I'm so-_

His thoughts were cut off by the sound of wings.

Dean stood and turned, his heart pounding in his chest as he looked for Cass, although he wasn't sure if he wanted to hug him for being there or wring his neck for taking so long.

It was a moot point, because Castiel was not the angel who had appeared in their bedroom.

Dean frowned. "Who the fuck are you?"

The petite, dark-haired woman blinked. "My name is Afriel. Castiel sent me to heal his friend, Piper Winchester."

"Well, where the hell is _he?"_

Afriel's face hardened. "As much as it may surprise you, Castiel is not at your beck and call. Do you understand that he is running an army? That he is fighting for humanity? He does not have time to come down to earth every time you get yourself in a mess."

Dean let his face remain impassive, but winced internally. _Dammit._ He really hadn't wanted to piss the angel off, especially since it looked like he really needed her, but he was terrified for Cass, and for Piper.

 _God dammit, Pipes is so much better at this._

"Look, I get it, I do," he said roughly, running a hand down his face. "I'm sorry, it's just been a shit couple of days." He turned to look at Piper on the bed, and his throat constricted around his next words. "Can… Can you help her?" His voice was raw, even in his own ears.

When he turned back to her, Afriel's face had softened a fraction. She nodded. "Of course I can." She stepped around him to stand next to the bed. She examined the prone woman for a moment, then leaned down and pressed her hand to Piper's forehead.

 **xxxxx**

" _Piper? Piper, can you hear me?"_

 _She turned around, trying to locate the source of the soft voice. She sensed that the choice of whether to stay or go was about to be taken away from her. "Hello?"_

" _Piper, you're coming with me."_

 _She thought for a moment about arguing, but the voice's next words stopped that train of thought immediately._

" _Dean has been waiting for you."_

 **xxxxx**

Afriel straightened and met Dean's eyes. "She will awaken soon. I let her sleep a bit more."

There wouldn't be any actual relief for Dean until Piper woke up for real, but he relaxed a fraction. "Uh, thank you," he said softly.

Afriel looked back down at Piper. "She really is quite extraordinary, you know. The way she pulled you, Sam, and herself out of Zachariah's machinations still invites speculation among angels."

Dean's eyebrows rose. "That, uh... Everyone knows about that?"

Afriel nodded. "It sent an immense wave of power through heaven. It would have been difficult to hide it." She thought for a moment. "A bit like an earthquake."

Dean frowned. "Okay, well, what does that mean?"

Afriel smiled. "Nothing negative. It means that the two of you are soulmates, bound by the dictates of heaven, up to the point of defying that same heaven. It is… Rather rare, that true soulmates find one another. We cannot help that you fascinate us."

Dean felt himself begin to scowl. "Yeah, well, forgive me if I'm not thrilled that we're still the subject of angelic interest."

Afriel paused, then nodded. "That is reasonable."

 **xxxxx**

Two hours later, Dean watched his wife's eyes flutter open, and things he hadn't realized had been cloaked in darkness lit up bright inside him.

She slowly turned her head, smiling when her gaze met his. "Hey, handsome."

He had to try twice before he could speak. "Hi, kitten." He frowned and stood to put his hands gently on her shoulders when she tried to sit up. "Hey, hey, hey, come on, Pipes, take it easy, yeah?"

She submitted easily, but fisted one of her hands in his shirt collar to pull him down beside her. "Then come make me," she said softly, scooting to make room for him on the bed.

Dean fought himself for approximately half of a second before he gave in, gently arranging himself around her, then pulling her close to bury his face in her hair. "Jesus Christ, Pipes, I'm so sorry, baby-"

"You know," she said thoughtfully, "there's a lot of self flagellation going on over there, and I'm really more interested in the cuddling happening."

Dean paused, then huffed out a laugh and clung to her unashamedly, savoring the sharp points of her nails digging into his back as she held on just as hard. "Love you," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her hair. "Scared me."

She nodded against him. "Me, too, both counts."

Dean held her as she fell back asleep, and then finally, _finally_ let himself do the same.

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi, beautiful readers! Here are my notes:**  
 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or any of the characters. (heartbroken).**  
 **Reviews, comments, and kudos give me life and keep me going.**  
 **And, as always, thank you for reading, you beautiful, beautiful people.**

 ****What I want to say to you: I'm feeling great! Everything has evened out, I'm a thousand percent happy, I am BRIMMING with ideas for this story and for new ones, updates will be regular from now on.**

 ****What the truth is: I'm doing okay but not great. I've realized I need to go back to therapy, which blows, but I'm going to go. I have approximately 4 ideas for this story and the other 4 that I'm writing. I'm a mess, but I'm going to try really fucking hard not to go a month between updates next time. Thanks for sticking with me.**

 ****I'm sorry that I haven't been responding to messages. They just got lost in the debris that is/was my mental health. I'll do better.**

 ****Sorry for the short chapter, idk what the fuck was up, but this chapter fought me super, super hard.**


	85. It's Not a Joke, Sam

Piper smiled sunnily when she heard the rumble of an engine coming down the driveway. She was excited to see her brother-in-law. She'd missed his sweet, clever demeanor. Sam was still her best friend, and who else was going to gang up on Dean to make him eat a vegetable once in a while with her?

Despite Dean's misgivings, she was determined to forgive and forget. Sam hadn't had a soul when he'd attacked her, and now he did. As far as Piper was concerned, it was pretty cut and dry.

Still, she was the only one who walked out to the front porch to greet Sam as he left the car. Garth was getting out on the other side.

Piper grinned. "Two of my favorite men!"

Garth returned her smile with ease. "Hey, Smalls. Lookin' good."

She hugged him fiercely when he got to her. "Back atcha, Fitz."

Garth pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek, then whispered low in her ear. "Talk to Sam. I think he needs you."

Piper blinked, then nodded. As Garth walked past her, already hollering for Bobby, she let her gaze rest on Sam. His shoulders were rounded in on themselves just a little, subtle enough that she probably only noticed because she'd known him for so long. His smile was tight, and there was guilt heavy in his hazel eyes.

She sighed and and stepped down the stairs toward him. "Sam-"

"I'm sorry," he interrupted, blurting it without preamble.

Piper shook her head and approached him. "Stop it, that wasn't you."

He looked miserable, but didn't try to avoid her when she got close, so she put it in the "win" column. "But it _was_ me, Ppie," he protested softly. "I… I mean, look, Cass told me. Everything. And I-"

"I'm gonna stop you right there," she said gently, reaching up to cup his face. "Sam, Death didn't just restore your soul, he put up a wall to make sure you don't remember everything that was done to you. It might be the only thing keeping you upright." Sam opened his mouth to interrupt again, but Piper forged ahead. "Look, I get that it's not really that black and white, I _do._ But Sam, we fought so hard to get you back." She smiled, and was unsurprised to feel tears gather in her eyes. "We love you. What's done is done, and I'll help you make amends however I can for whatever you did, but not if it's something that might bring that wall down, kay? Because it's not worth you. Nothing is."

 **xxxxx**

It took a lot out of Dean to just watch through the little kitchen window as Piper pulled Sam into a hug. In his head, he understood that it was _Sam,_ and Sam would die before he hurt Piper.

On the other hand, Sam was the one who'd hurt Piper.

"Can't say that don't make me uneasy," Bobby said gruffly from behind him.

Dean kept his eyes on the pair in the front yard. "I don't like it either." He glanced over at his father figure. "But if Piper forgives him…"

Bobby sighed. "Then we're gonna have to do the same. Dammit."

Dean made a face. Piper was going to be the sweet, loving woman she was, and she was going to forgive Sam. It didn't matter to her that Sam had tried to murder her to avoid having his soul returned to him.

It sure as hell mattered to Dean, though.

As much as he wanted to be relaxed and trusting around his brother, as much as he'd done to bring that brother back, Dean couldn't get the image of Sam standing over a prone Piper out of his head. He was trying to get back to where he'd been, but it wasn't happening.

He'd finally gotten to the point where something came before Sam. It had just taken almost losing Piper to get there.

 **xxxxx**

A few hours later, after doing dishes, Piper was exhausted.

She had enlisted everyone's help to make chicken enchiladas, determined to plow through the awkward silence blanketing her family. She was also set on getting her husband to stop exuding cold hostility toward his brother.

It had not worked, and now she was washing dishes by herself to get out of the weirdness.

She felt his presence behind her and smiled. "Is it going any better in there?"

An almost involuntary sigh left her lips when Dean's arms came around her. "Still weird."

"You could fix that, you know."

He kissed her temple gently. "Come to bed with me."

She rolled her eyes. "Dean…"

"Come on, Pipes, you still need rest. Sam can finish up in here."

"Dean, I was healed by an _angel._ I don't need rest."

"Please?"

The soft, gentle pleading in his voice would always be able to crumble her defenses. She pulled her hands from the soapy water, dried them off, and let him lead her upstairs. She gave both Sam and Bobby a weary smile on the way, but said nothing. She'd tried more than once to start a conversation during dinner, to no avail. She would try again the next day.

She followed Dean into the bedroom. Once in, she gently closed the door behind them and turned to look at him. She smiled. "Stay with me?"

He nodded, and they undressed in a silence rich with the comfort of being together for so long. Once they were in pajamas, Dean got onto the bed, leaned against the headboard, and smiled at her. "Come here, kitten."

She climbed on and turned so he could gather her close and press her back to his chest. She leaned back and gently ran her palms down his arms circled around her. The feeling of peace that flooded her when she was cuddled up to her husband never failed to surprise her.

He hooked his chin over her shoulder. "I… I gotta talk to you."

She turned just enough to press their cheeks together. "Okay, what's up?"

He was silent for a while, and she let him be. He'd always come to her when he was ready, and not a moment before. From the night they'd gotten together to the night he'd proposed, and this would be no different.

"Look, Pipes… I…" He sighed. "Listen, I know I've been… Kind of a jackass, when it comes to getting Sammy back, and… I… I get that I was wrong."

Piper frowned and tried to turn, but his arms tightened around her until she couldn't. "Dean, what-"

"I just… I've been trying to look after him my whole life, kitten. And it took…" He swallowed hard. "It took _what happened_ to see that I was wrong. Sam's… Sam's a big boy, he can take care of himself, mostly, and he's… He's not the most important thing anymore."

Piper was quiet for a while, digesting what her husband had said. It was… It was a rather heady feeling, being the object of Dean Winchester's focus, the center of his world. She had known, of course, that she was important to him. They were _married,_ for fuck's sake.

It was one thing to know it, though, and quite another to hear her reticent husband _say it out loud to her._

Slightly overcome, she leaned back against him and fought the tears that were trying to gather in her eyes. "Oh, Dean."

He squeezed her a little. "Love you," he whispered gruffly.

She smiled. "I love you, too, handsome." She sniffed hard. "All right, all right, are you ready to wrap up this chick flick moment?"

She felt his demeanor shift, and the wolfish grin pressed to her shoulder. He ran a gentle, warm hand down her side, until his fingers were very, very softly tracing her inner thigh through her sweats, making her shiver and bite back a whimper. "What did you have in mind, kitten?" he whispered low in her ear.

"Oh, I have faith you'll think of something."

 **xxxxx**

A few days later, after giving Bobby a gruff goodbye, dispatching Garth to deal with an angry spirit in Idaho, and giving Monster extra cuddles (which Dean would deny to his dying day), they were on the road again.

 **xxxxx**

Dean flipped through the missing persons leaflets and pretended he was paying attention to them while he checked out Piper's ass in her Fed suit pants. _Glad I got that locked down,_ he thought, smug.

Sam was smirking. "Dean, quit checking your wife out, we're working a case."

Piper turned and smiled, and Dean felt his heart beat harder. "Yeah, you," she said, her eyes sparkling. "Give me those."

He handed the leaflets over easily, then wrapped an arm around her waist while she _actually_ looked through them. "Well, whatever it is, it's got a type," she said thoughtfully.

Sam nodded. "Other than that, though, these women actually have nothing in common. Different jobs, different friends, different everything. So, what's the connection?"

Dean shrugged. "No idea."

Before they could go further, a blonde, well put together woman approached Sam with a saccharine smile. "Agent _Roark?_ It's _so_ good to see you again."

Sam smiled, bewildered. "It… Yeah, yeah, it is."

The woman gestured to a man who sidled up next to her. "Oh, you remember my husband, Don?"

Sam nodded. "Of course, right. Um, hi."

She leaned toward him conspiratorially. "So, you're back 'cause it started again, right? The disappearances?"

"Oh, uh, yeah. Yeah, right. So, um, if either of you two hear anything, please, let me know."

The woman turned her sights on Piper and Dean, then. Dean had subtly taken his arm back, and was now standing next to his wife. He plastered a professional smile on his face as the stranger essentially undressed him with her wide eyes.

"Oh, oh, is this your _new_ partner?"

Dean had to stifle a grin when Piper stiffened. _"Partners,"_ she said stiffly. "The three of us are… Collaborating on this case. Nice to meet you."

Dean, wisely, decided to just nod in greeting.

"Of course," the woman simpered. "Nice chatting with you Agent Roark."

Sam nodded. "You, too."

The woman touched Sam's arm, left her hand there a beat too long, then was ushered out of the restaurant by her husband.

Dean started to chuckle. "Man, she was cougar-eyeing the shit out of you."

"I… I think Samuel and I have worked a case in this town."

 **xxxxx**

"One of dad's rules," Dean snarled. "'You never use the same crapper twice.'"

Piper sighed and watched the brothers argue. It was fairly useless to try to talk to either of them when they got like this, so until it started to look like they were going to go after each other, she would just sit on the sidelines.

"Everyone uses the same crapper twice," Sam insisted.

"Not us." Dean rolled his eyes at the implied joke in his words. "You know what I mean."

"Okay, look. This creature is still walking around 'cause of me, right? I mean, I _let it go._ Dad also said, 'you finish what you start.'" Sam took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay, I get it."

Dean raised his eyebrows. "Do you, now?"

Sam nodded earnestly. "Yes. You're afraid I'll stroll down memory lane and I'll kick this wall in my head so hard, hell comes flooding through, right? And then all of a sudden, I'm some drooling mess on the floor."

Piper scowled. "It's not a joke, Sam. We're worried."

Sam held his hands up in surrender. "Okay. I know. But listen, what's happening here right now, it's because I messed up somehow, in some big way. So every person who gets taken, every person who dies? That's on me. I have to stop it. And you'd do the same thing."

Dean met Piper's gaze, then heaved a sigh. "All right. Pipes and I will follow up with the brunettes. You see what you get from the cops."

 **xxxxx**

"Sam, answer the phone, damn it! I found the connection between the missing chicks. They all banged the same dude. You. It's you, Sam. The texts, the victims, all of it, it's a trap for you. Call me back."

Dean was frowning as he hung up the phone and started toward the car with Piper. "We shouldn't have taken this case," he fumed. "We should have sent Bobby those coordinates and been on our damn way."

Piper slid her hand in his as they walked. "Well, we're here now, so let's figure out what it is we're hunting." She took a deep breath, and he could almost _see_ her shift from supportive wife mode to hunter mode. "All right, so Sammy bangs everything that moves and makes eye contact while he's here with Samuel. They find whatever monster it is that they're hunting. It's either got offspring or family of some sort we didn't know about, that are seeking to avenge its death, or they weren't one hundred percent sure how to kill it, and it survived the attack. Now, whoever's or whatever's coming after us is taking the women Sam slept with to lure him into a trap." She looked up at him. "Did I get everything?"

Despite the situation, he grinned. "God, it's hot when you summarize."

She smirked. "You're just easy, handsome."

 **xxxxx**

 _This is what happens when you just let them walk into traps,_ Piper lectured herself as she tried to fight her way out of the Arachne's web. _Next time, you tie them up and leave them in the motel room so they can't do anything reckless._

The monster that had taken them, that had a beef with Sam, was talking, distracting Piper from her bid for freedom. "You gotta admit, I look good, Sam. Well, except for your little souvenir." He pointed to the scar on his forehead, pretty clearly a bullet wound.

Sam was nodding. "You win. I'm here. Let Brenna go, this has nothing to do with her."

The Arachne scoffed. "You come back around, start hanging out with my wife, and you think this has nothing to do with her? But then… You thought I was out of the way, right? I got to say, you get a hell of a lot wrong, Sam, like that thing you threw me to. You thought it was here to feed."

Piper winced. "She was here to breed."

The monster pointed at her. "Ding ding ding, we have a winner." He turned back to Sam. "That thing was playing the mating game, and I guess I fit her profile… Me and all those other poor bastards. She bit us to turn us into what she was."

Piper felt her bonds loosening, just enough so she could reach the knife in her belt.

"By the time you pulled that trigger, I wasn't human. Not anymore. So bullets didn't hurt me much. Oh, and neither did fire."

She cut herself free enough that her feet could touch the floor. She kept her eyes on the monster as he ranted, hoping that he would distract himself enough that she could get loose.

"So after you left, well, we ran. Me? I hid for months, nearly starved. But you know what kept me going? Every night, I dreamed about ripping your throat out. I thought I was sending you a neon sign."

Piper was free, but she didn't move for fear of bringing the thing down on her. She didn't even look at the Winchesters, just kept her eyes on the monster and waited for her chance.

"The text? Taking all those girls you screwed? I was kicking so much sand in your eye, I couldn't figure out why you weren't getting it! Then Bren tells me you've got brain damage. It's just too good." He started to chuckle.

Sam sounded pained. "Where are they, Roy… The women?"

Roy's smile was ugly and mean. "Scattered… In the wind. They're like me now. You killed one monster, you made _so_ many more. Congratulations. The only question is, do I kill you… Or turn you?"

Dean, who had apparently also gotten himself free, flung himself at the Arachne with a shout. Piper barely restrained from rolling her eyes as she dove for the machete along the wall.

"No!" Brenna was shouting. "Roy, stop!"

Pipe turned to see Roy with his hand around Dean's throat, holding him up in the air. Piper's vision went red, and she found herself crossing the distance and decapitating the bastard before she could really process what was happening.

Brenna had freed Sam, and Dean fell to the ground coughing. Piper sighed and surveyed the damage.

"You know, I really hate spiders."

 **xxxxx**

"You okay?" Dean asked, for what felt like the thirteenth time since they'd returned to their motel room.

Sam shrugged. "You were right. We shouldn't have come back here."

Dean almost winced, and spent a moment wishing fervently that Piper was out there with him instead of in the shower. She was much better at things like this.

"Well, you _did_ kill, uh… Spider man." _Fuck, I need Piper for this._

Sam looked at him incredulously. "So, you're suggesting what I did back there was a good thing?"

"I'm just saying-"

" _What?"_

Dean groaned and ran a hand through his hair. "Sam, you got to understand that all that crap last year, all of it, none of it was you'

"Let's be _crystal_ clear, okay?" Sam interrupted, venom in his voice. "It was me."

There was nothing Dean could say to that, and he knew it. Mostly because he was _still_ having a little bit of trouble forgiving Sam. The "it wasn't you" crap was just him parroting Piper.

"Well, can I get you anything?"

Sam snorted. "What are you now, my waitress?"

Dean scowled. "I'm just trying to make you feel better. Don't be a bitch."

"Yeah, I'm fine.

It was Dean's turn to snort. "Yeah, you _look_ fine." He took a deep breath. "All I'm saying is everything's gonna be okay."

When Sam looked at him this time, he reminded Dean so much of the lost little kid he'd raised that his heart ached for a moment. "I don't know, Dean. If I did this here, then who knows how many oth-"

Sam didn't get any further before he collapsed to the floor, screaming.

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi, beautiful readers! Here are my notes:**  
 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or any of the characters. (heartbroken).**  
 **Reviews, comments, and kudos give me life and keep me going.**  
 **And, as always, thank you for reading, you beautiful, beautiful people.**  
 ****Look! A chapter! A *long* chapter! It's like I'm a real, honest to Chuck fanfiction author. *whaaaaaaat***


	86. Run With It

" _Sam!"_

Piper fell to her knees next to her brother-in-law, gently cupping his face in her hands. "Sam, Sam, come on, Sam."

Dean was on his other side, shaking Sam by the shoulders more harshly. "Sam! Come on, god dammit!"

After what seemed like an eternity, Sam's eyes fluttered open, and he groaned, long and loud.

Piper smiled in relief, tears standing in her eyes. "Hey, hey, take it easy. Are you with me, Sammy?"

He groaned in response, and Dean started to haul him up. "Come on, Pipes, we've got to get him out of here."

 **xxxxx**

In the car, Piper insisted that she and Sam sit in the back so she could keep an eye on him. "How are you feeling?"

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Like I got hit by a… Planet."

Dean huffed. "Well, lucky for you, I'm a doctor. We'll stop and get some joe, some grub, and I have these." He shook a container of pills.

Piper frowned. "Dean…"

Sam was staring at the container. "What are they?"

"Effective?"

Sam chuckled. "I'm okay, thanks."

A shrug from the front seat. "Suit yourself."

Sam looked over at Piper. "How long was I out, again?"

"Two or three minutes, tops. Why? What did it feel like to you?"

"About a week, give or take."

Dean's eyes found Piper's in the rearview mirror, then back to Sam. "You wanna talk about it?"

Sam's brow furrowed. "'It?'"

"Whatever that was. I mean, it was like you were freakin' electrocuted."

Sam sighed. "Look, I mean, it wasn't fun, but I… I'm fine."

Piper's temper snapped at her. _"Fuck_ that," she said vehemently. "Sam, no, fuck that shit. You could have _died."_

He scoffed. "Oh, come on."

" _No,_ Sam WInchester, I will not 'come on.' You just had a flashback of hell, and it could have killed you. So no more of this 'it's just a flesh wound' nonsense, because we tried it your way. From now on, we let the past stay in the past. We're not picking at the wall again."

"So, what? I'm just supposed to ignore it?" Sam sounded angry, which was okay with Piper, because she was angry, too.

"Yeah," Dean said from the front. "That's exactly what you're supposed to do."

"Guys, I might've… I mean, who knows what? And you want me to just forget about it?"

"Yeah, I do," Piper said testily. "You forget about it, because we sacrificed a lot to get you back. And you are not going to waste that."

"This is not a debate, Sam," Dean said softly. "You were a soulless dickbag, and now you're not. So, we good?"

There was a long silence, then, "Yeah. We're good."

 **xxxxx**

Piper was flipping through news websites idly, looking for a case. It was strange to be able to be so… Still, as a hunter. They'd had periods of rest when they were out of the life, but not really since they'd been back, and certainly not before they'd left. It was nice, she thought as she ran her fingers through Monster's thick fur, to be able to quietly look for a case while her men wandered around the house.

Sam came through the door into the living room where she was situated, as if summoned by her thoughts. "Where's Bobby?"

She smiled. "Supply run."

Sam looked out at the raging storm that was sending piercing rain to beat on the window panes. "In this?"

Dean, coming in from the other side, nodded. "Yeah, man's a hero. We were officially out of hunter's helper." He gestured with the empty whiskey bottle in his hand. Piper rolled her eyes.

Before she could comment, a familiar blonde angel materialized in the doorway. "Hello, boys, Piper, dearest." He immediately walked to Bobby's desk and started rifling through the drawers. "You've seen 'The Godfather,' right?"

Dean was frowning hard. "Balthazar…"

The angel nodded, waving one hand in the air. "You know, the end, where Michael Corleone sends his men to kill his enemies in one big, bloody swoop?" He was pulling various spices and containers out of the desk and placing them on the top.

"What's going on?" Piper asked, finally standing and letting the cat leap gracefully to the floor with an irritated _mrow._

The angel ignored them both as he pulled out another container from Bobby's desk. "'Dead Sea brine.' Good, good, good." He began to pour the contents into a bowl he'd placed at the center. "You know, Moe Greene gets it in the eye, and Don Cuneo gets it in the revolving door?"

" _Hey,"_ Dean growled, more forcefully this time.

Balthazar made a beeline for the kitchen. "Blood of lamb, blood of lamb," he muttered as he opened the refrigerator door and perused the contents. "Beer, cold pizza, blood of lamb. Yes! Blood of lamb!"

Sam came to stand next to Piper. "Why are you talking about 'The Godfather?'"

Balthazar spared them barely a glance as he walked back to the desk. "Because we're in it, right now, _tonight._ And in the role of Michael Corleone? The archangel Raphael."

Dean stood on Piper's other side, so she was effectively bracketed. "You mind telling us what you mean?"

But Balthazar was busy panicking. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no." He shoved his hand back into the desk drawer, rummaged around, then sagged in relief. _"Yes._ Bone of a lesser saint. This vertebra will do very nicely." He finally looked back over at the three of them. "Your Mr. Singer does keep a _lovely_ pantry."

"So, Raphael is after you?"

"Raphael is after us _all,"_ Balthazar sighed as he continued to mix ingredients "You see, he's consolidated his strength. And now he's on the move."

Piper tensed. "Where's Castiel, then?"

"Oh, Cassie? He is deep, deep underground. So, good old Raffy put out a hit list on every last Samaritan who helped our dear Cas, including the two of you." He pointed at Sam and Dean. "And so much more importantly, me, and the lovely Mrs. Winchester. See, he wants to draw Cass out in the open."

Sam crossed his arms. "And you expect us to just believe you?"

The angel shrugged. "Oh, don't. Or do. You'll go where I throw you either way."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dean growled.

Lightning flashed so close that the house shook, and Balthazar smiled enigmatically. "That's all the time we have, children." He opened his jacket, presumably to pull something out of the pocket, revealing blood that soaked his entire side. "Where is it?"

Concerned, Piper strode forward, intending to help. "Balthazar, what happened?"

He blinked, then grinned rakishly. "Oh, garish, I know. You see, uncle Raffy sent one of his nastiest to handle me. I'm flattered, actually. And down a lung at the moment, but that's all right." He handed her a set of keys he'd pulled from the jacket pocket. "Oh, here's for you, darling."

She frowned. "What are we supposed to do with this?"

"Run with it."

Before she could demand an explanation, Balthazar was tossed to the other side of the room as another man appeared.

Balthazar smiled. "Virgil." He then turned to the three Winchesters. "I said, _run!"_

He pushed the three of them through the window, which was smeared with blood for a sigil.

Piper braced for impact, because she _hated_ going through windows, but it was much softer than she'd anticipated. As was the landing. It was dryer, too, considering that it was raining like crazy outside…

" _Cut!"_

She opened her eyes to see that she was lying between Sam and Dean on a mattress… In what looked like a warehouse… Surrounded by what looked like a _film crew?_

They stood slowly, looking around. A man with a headset on approached and patted Dean on the ass. Piper giggled a little, but it might have been hysteria more than humor.

"Real good," the man was saying. "Solid fall. Way to go."

The director, who had yelled cut, waved from his chair. "Jared, Jensen! Outstanding! And you, Allison, that was just great."

Piper felt her eyes widen and herself go dizzy with shock as someone shouted, "'Supernatural,' scene one echo, take one. Tail slate. Marker!"

 **xxxxx**

"It's a TV show."

Dean was reeling. He wanted to scream, or punch something. Probably punch something.

"What do you mean?" Piper was frowning up at Sam. She seemed to be taking most of their situation in stride, but he could see the tension around her eyes, the slightly stilted way she was walking. His wife was just as nervous as he was.

He pulled her close with an arm around her waist and pressed his cheek to her temple as he listened to Sam.

"Well, okay, whatever this twilight zone Balthazar zapped us into is, for whatever reason, our life is a TV show."

Dean could hear the frown in Piper's voice. "Well, huh."

"Why?"

Sam shrugged. "I don't know."

"No, seriously. _Why?_ Why would anybody want to watch our lives?"

"Well, I mean, according to that interviewer, not many people do." Sam shrugged again. "Look, I'm not saying it makes sense. I'm just saying we, we landed in some dimension where you're Jensen Ackles, Pipes is a woman named Allison Dale, and I'm something called a 'Jared Padalecki.'"

Dean snorted as they started to walk toward the door of the studio. "So, what, now you're Polish?" He looked down at his wife. "Kitten, does any of this make sense?"

She shrugged as they walked out. "I dunno. I don't know why he'd said us into a place like this."

When they walked outside, his eyes landed on is Impala, and he grinned. "Hey, at least my baby made it."

"I thought I was your baby," Piper protested with a smile.

He pressed a hard kiss to her temple. "I meant my baby on four wheels made it."

"Uh-huh," she said skeptically, but he was distracted by the sight of someone flinging mud onto Baby's windshield.

"Hey, hey!" He shouted, irritated. "What-"

Before he could continue with his questions, he saw that the vehicle he had thought was his was parked in a line next to three identical Impalas. He felt his stomach roll, and he pressed a hand to his mouth. "I feel sick. I'm gonna be sick. I want to go home. I feel like this whole place is bad touching me."

Sam was wincing and nodding. "Yeah, I know. Me, too." He looked over at them. "So, what do you think? Cass?"

Piper shrugged. "He's our best shot, if he's still alive."

Decision made, Dean closed his eyes and tilted his head down. "Dear Castiel, who art maybe running his ass away from heaven, we pray that you have your ears on. So... Breaker breaker…"

Piper's hand on his arm made him open his eyes. "Dean, look, there he is."

His head whipped around, and Dean spotted the angel walking toward them. He jogged to catch up with his friend. "Cass! Hey, Cass!" When Castiel stopped and turned around, Dean smiled. "Oh, thank god." He waved his hand around. "What is all this, huh? What did Balthazar do to us?"

Cass frowned. "To keep you out of Virgil's reach, he's cast you into an alternate reality, a universe similar to ours in most respects, yet dramatically different in others."

Dean glared at him. "Like, like, bizarro earth, right? Except instead of having bizarro Superman, we get this clown factory." He gestured again around them.

"Um… Yeah, well.. Anyway, no time to explain. Do you have the key?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah." He handed it over.

"What does it do, Cass?" Piper asked.

"It opens a room."

Dean waited a beat, and when no clarification seemed to be forthcoming, he prompted, "What's in the room?"

"Every weapon Balthazar stole from heaven."

Piper frowned. "And he gave it to _us?"_

Cass nodded. "To keep it safe until I could reach you. With those weapons, I have a chance to rally my forces."

Sam nodded. "Oh. Okay, good. Yeah. So, now, uh, what's the deal with all this TV crap?"

Cass frowned. "Pardon?"

Dean chuckled. "Yeah, Padaleski."

"It's 'lecki,'" Piper corrected. "His name is Padalecki."

" _Man,"_ Cass said emphatically, pulling out a booklet of papers from his trench coat. "Did they put out new pages?"

Dean looked at Piper, who was staring at Castiel. "That… Is a script," she said softly, her eyes not moving. "You're… You're Misha Collins, not Castiel."

" _Misha?"_ Dean asked, horrified. "Your name is _Misha?"_

Misha was frowning. "Are you guys okay?" he was in the process of unbuttoning the dress shirt that was his costume, revealing a new-age t-shirt beneath it. "You wanna run lines?"

Dean turned on his heel, completely unable to process the man in front of him, and the differences between him and the angel that they had fought beside for so long. Piper hurried to catch up, slipping her hand into his.

"Hey, come on, we're going to… Hey, 'J. Ackles,' isn't that you?"

He turned to follow her gaze to the trailer they had stopped next to, which did, indeed, have a sign bearing the name "J. Ackles."

"Yeah, that's fake me. This must be fake mine."

 **xxxxx**

Hours later, sitting in the "Padalecki's" mansion, in the library, Piper kept track of the list of ingredients they would need to reverse Balthazar's spell, while also eyeing the giant portrait of what _looked_ like Sam dressed as a cowboy.

"What's next?" Dean asked.

Piper dragged her attention back to the list. "Um, 'wrist bone of saint and holy reliquary.'"

"Oh, hey, got it here. 'Museum quality, from diocese in Oaxaca.' Looks legit."

Dean nodded, reading over his shoulder. "All right, auction house is in Mexico City. We could be there day after tomorrow. We, uh, case it, yank it, be back here by the end of the week."

"Or we could just buy it." Sam held up a black credit card.

Dean whistled. "Hel _lo,_ Jared Padalecki."

Piper had the phone to speak to the auction house. _"Cubrir a su amigo en la aduana. no? Bueno."_

Dean was on the phone, too. "Triple rush. No problemo. Because money is _no_ object."

Piper hung up. "They said it should be at the airport first thing in the morning."

Dean grinned. "Money, man, there's nothing like it."

The appearance of Genevieve in the doorway startled Piper. The other woman smiled kindly, which was disconcerting, because Piper didn't remember seeing that expression on the demon Ruby's face, _ever._ "Hey, guys," she said softly. "Can I borrow mine for a sec?"

Piper smiled back and nodded, then looked over at Sam and widened her eyes at him until he got the hint that he was the one that Gen was talking about.

He gave a full body flinch, but nodded to cover. "Oh, uh, yeah. Coming, uh, honey?" He stood and followed the short woman out of the room.

When the door shut, Piper moved to sit next to Dean. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, and she willingly leaned into his warmth. "Hi," she said softly.

He smiled. "Hi, kitten." He kissed the top of her head.

She snuggled close. "You know, none of the people on the set, and Gen, either, none of them thought twice about us being together."

He was silent for a second, then hummed. "You're right."

She looked up and smiled at him. "You just can't get rid of me in any universe, baby."

He grinned and kissed her forehead. "Because I'm not trying to get away. Not once, not ever."

 **xxxxx**

After realizing that the universe they were in had no magic, because the spell hadn't had any effect whatsoever, they were on their way back to the set, a little bit disheartened.

"What do we do next?" Dean asked angrily. "I just… What the fuck are we going to do?"

Piper put a placating hand on his arm. "Hey, calm down, Dean. We'll figure something out, okay?"

A gunshot rang out. Before she could properly think about her reaction, Piper was already running toward the sound. The three of them dove into the studio and toward the commotion.

They got there in time to see someone dodge a bullet fired from the gun that the angel Virgil was aiming.

" _Hey!"_ Sam shouted. Dean tackled the angel, and Piper dove to grab the gun. She couldn't get it, but she kicked it away.

While Dean and Virgil grappled on the ground, Sam managed to get into the angel's coat and get the key. "Dean! I've got it!"

Dean wrestled himself away and ran toward them, but before he got there, Piper looked up and saw the glowing sigil that they'd painted on the window. "Dean!" she cried, "Dean, it's Raphael! We have to run!"

Before they could, they were thrown by an invisible force through that window.

 **xxxxx**

When Dean came to, he looked around to see Piper and Sam standing next to him. He immediately grabbed Piper's hand, letting his wife's touch ground him a little.

He opened his mouth to ask if she was okay, but was interrupted by a female voice.

"You three… Have the strangest luck."

Dean turned to see a shorter woman staring at them. The way she held herself told him everything he needed to know about who she was. "Raphael? Nice meatsuit. Dude looks like a lady."

Raphael raised her hand, closed it into a fist, and whatever she did next was lost to Dean as he doubled over in pain. He fell to his knees, and while he only vaguely sensed that Piper had fallen next to him, but he heard her cry crystal clear.

"The key," Raphael intoned, walking over and picking it up from where Sam had dropped it as he fell.

"And that," Balthazar's familiar voice came from somewhere behind the, but Dean couldn't find it in himself to look back. "Will open you a locker at the Albany bus station."

"Really."

"You see, I needed a modest decoy to make it more convincing."

"Give me the weapons." Raphael was starting to sound angry. Dean's vision was beginning to grey out at the edges.

"Sorry, darling, they're gone."

" _What?!"_

"I said, too bloody late. You see, they were so well hidden that I needed time to find them. So, I volunteered these two marmosets, and the lovely wife, for a game of fetch with Virgil." Balthazar waved a hand and the pain stopped. Dean looked up to meet his eyes. "You three were such an adequate stick. Thank you. Thank you, boys and girl."

Dean stood on shaky legs, helping Piper up at the sametime, as the angels continued to argue.

"You've made your last mistake" Raphael snarled.

Balthazar chuckled. "Oh, I've got a few more up my sleeve, honey."

"Step away from him, Raphael." Castiel's comfortable, gravelly voice rang down the street. "I have the weapons now. Their power is with me."

"Castiel."

"If you don't want to die tonight, back off," Castiel said sternly, no compromise in his tone.

Raphael disappeared, and Balthazar moved his gaze to rest on the dark-haired angel. "Well, Cassie. Now that you have your sword, try not to die by it." Then he disappeared, too.

Castiel stepped forward and pressed two fingers to Dean's head, and the world dipped and swirled around them. When he opened his eyes, he saw they were back in Bobby's living room.

"Thank _God,"_ Piper groaned as she made to sit behind Bobby's desk.

"Cass, what the hell?!" Sam shouted. "You were in on this, using us a diversion?"

"It was Balthazar's plan. I would have done the same thing."

Dean frowned. "That's not comforting, Cas."

The angel glared at him, the most emotion he'd shown the whole evening. "When will I be able to make you understand? If I lose against Raphael, we all lose. Everything."

Dean was about to snap, but Piper got there first.

"Cass," she said gently. "We know the stakes, but we want to _help._ If you tell us more, we can help with this."

The angel winced. "I'm sorry about all this. I'll explain when I can." In a _whoosh_ of angel feathers, Castiel disappeared.

Dean scowled. "Fucking angels."

 **xxxxx**

 **Hi, beautiful readers! Here are my notes:**  
 **I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or any of the characters. (heartbroken).**  
 **Reviews, comments, and kudos give me life and keep me going.**  
 **And, as always, thank you for reading, you beautiful, beautiful people.**  
 ****I have no excuse for the wait. I'm sorry.**  
 ****If this chapter feels stilted or forced, it's because it was, in fact, stilted AND forced. For some reason, sometimes, no matter how I wrestle with it or rewrite it, it comes out that way.**


	87. Clean Slate

As they watched Rufus' body burn in a hunter's funeral, Piper reflected on how tired she was of losing friends.

She'd loved Rufus, rough exterior and all. He'd been the first person to give her a shot of whiskey (which had resulted in a _very_ annoyed Bobby, Piper finding out that she was a bit of an affectionate drunk at seventeen years old, and the end of her staying with Rufus while Bobby hunted). She'd adored the way Rufus never took anyones shit, or the way he'd refuse to work because of the Sabbath. He was one of many "extended family" members, and she was devastated that he was gone.

"I got to say," Dean's voice was soft with reference. "I never figured Rufus for the religious type."

Bobby shrugged. "Well, he didn't exactly keep kosher. He always used to pull the old 'can't work on the Sabbath' card whenever we had to bury a body." Bobby took a deep breath, and Piper felt her heart ache more fiercely when she heard the wobble in his voice as he continued. "You know, I… I was just a job. I was Joe mechanic. Then my wife got possessed, went nuts on me. I stabbed her, and that didn't stop her. Next thing I knew, this guy comes busting in, soaks her with holy water, and sends that demon straight to hell so fast. I'd have gone away for killing her. But... Rufus cleaned up everything. Taught me a thing or two about… What's really out there. Pretty soon, we were riding together. Worked like that for years, kind of like you two knuckleheads."

"So, what happened?" Sam asked, his voice also gentle.

"It was Omaha," Bobby said heavily. "It was my fault, and he never let it go."

"Well, he should have," Dean snapped.

Bobby frowned. "You don't know what I did, Dean."

Piper watched her husband shake his head. "Doesn't matter."

"What do you mean, it doesn't-" Bobby started to snarl.

"I _mean,_ at the end of the day, you two are family. Life's short, and ours are shorter than most. We're gonna spend it wringing our hands?" He scoffed. "Something's gonna get us eventually, and when my guts get ripped out, just so you two know, we're good. Blanket apology for all the shit that anybody's done all the way around."

Piper smiled a little up at him. "What about me?"

He grinned rakishly, though she could see the sadness in his green eyes. "Pipes, I'll make sure to make it _all_ up to you."

"Some of us have pulled a lot of shit, Dean," Sam protested softly.

"Well, clean slate."

 **xxxxx**

If someone were to ask Piper Winchester what her definition of peace was, she would have replied that it was the way Dean clung to her in sleep.

She woke up every morning with him spooned around her, his arm tight around her waist, face buried in her hair. His warmth radiating into her back always made getting out of their bed, or whatever bed they were sharing, one of the hardest things to do in the day.

The day after Rufus' funeral was the same. They were at Bobby's place, which meant they were at home, which meant they didn't have to get up unless they wanted to. She heaved a deep sigh and pressed back against her husband, warm and happy, just for a moment.

Then, of course, what had happened the day before occurred to her.

Piper didn't particularly care that Samuel Campbell had died. She'd despised him from the beginning of their rather short acquaintanceship, and she had no real feelings one way or the other, except she was relieved he couldn't try to kill any of them anymore.

She also wasn't sure how she'd felt about Gwen dying. She was probably the only one of Dean's cousins that Piper had sort of liked, but she couldn't have ever seen them being close. Piper had family, quite enough of it. Family had never, for her, ended in blood, and she certainly didn't believe that it began there, either. Piper had been raised by Bobby, and her beliefs reflected his own.

She was all right with that.

Rufus' death, however, hit her a bit harder. She let the tears well up in her closed eyes without trying to fight them. She was in bed with Dean, she was safe.

She felt him stir as she cried. His arm tightened around her, and he pressed a chaste kiss to the back of her neck. "Kitten?"

"I'm okay," she said, voice watery, "I'm just… It's just hitting me, I guess."

She felt him nod and move his knees up to hit the backs of her legs, wrapping her up completely in him. "What can I do?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. Just this."

In response, he just held her tight and let her cry for a while, until she fell back into a light sleep.

 **xxxxx**

When Piper woke up an undetermined amount of time later, Dean's hand had crept up under her tank top, and his thumb was moving gently back and forth on her belly, spreading awareness through her and making her shiver.

He must have felt her reaction, because the next thing she knew, his whiskey voice was in her ear, making her gasp softly. "Morning, kitten."

"Good…" She swallowed at the intent in his voice. "Good morning."

She tensed when he shifted, but he didn't stop. "You're gonna have to keep quiet, Piper," he whispered. "Do you think you can do that for me?"

She gulped and nodded quickly as he maneuvered them so she was on her back and he was hovering over her. She whimpered when she saw the heat burning in his eyes, his unfairly handsome face inches away from hers. "Close your eyes, baby," he murmured. When she obeyed, he pressed a kiss to her forehead, one on each of her cheekbones, down her nose, and finally caught her mouth with his. He ran his tongue along her lips, and she obeyed the silent request by opening to him immediately, morning breath be damned.

His tongue swept into her mouth, and she arched into him, her hands moving restlessly up and down his bare back. The way his muscles moved beneath his warm skin made her whimper as she kissed him back. He broke away from her mouth and kissed along her jaw, down her neck. He nipped lightly at the place where her shoulder curved, and she bit back another whimper.

He moved down until he could nose the hem of her shirt out of the way so he could press little kisses to her stomach. She shivered and stayed still, except to bring her hands up to run through his hair. "Dean…" she sighed, letting the press of his lips to her skin light her up in sensation.

He hummed softly, then sat up just a bit to tug her shirt off. She helped by sitting up, too, and raising her arms so he could pull it off completely. As she lay back down, he backed up so he could slide her underwear and her leggings down and off, leaving her bare and spread before him. It was a familiar position, of course, but it never failed to put her on edge, make her needy and whimpering.

This moment was no different, and she had to contain a groan when he started at the inside of her right ankle and started up her leg, leaving more tiny kisses in his wake. Each place where his lips touched her burned, making her shift helplessly as he got closer to where she wanted him. He ran his other hand up the inside of her left leg in place of his mouth, his calloused fingers leaving the same sort of yearning as his lips were.

When he got to her center, he wasted no time. He lapped at her firmly for a few strokes, chuckling when the sensation of his tongue on her made her gasp and thrust insistently at him. He brought his right arm up to brace over her hips, keeping her still, and continued his gentle assault.

When she was writhing and had brought her own hand up to cover her mouth so she couldn't be heard, he finally sunk two fingers into her. She tried to buck her hips again, but her husband was having none of it. He kept her down and crooked his fingers until he hit that spot inside her that sent fireworks dancing through her veins, making her thrash more.

He pulled her clit into his mouth and toyed with it mercilessly, bringing her to the edge repeatedly, then backing off almost completely, only to start over again when she'd calmed down for just a moment.

Piper had no idea how long he kept her there, but it couldn't have been long before she started begging in helpless whimpers. "Dean, Dean _please,_ need you, baby, I need you, _please-"_

He gently withdrew his fingers and his mouth, ignoring her protesting moan. She shuddered and watched as he stepped off of the bed just long enough to tug his sweatpants and boxers down, baring his hard length to her gaze. She watched him with a heated gaze as he crawled predatorily back over her, _finally_ settling between her legs and boxing her in with his forearms. She immediately twined her legs around his, her heels digging into his hard calves, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

He used one hand to position himself at her entrance, wetting the tip of his cock in her heat. His mouth gently pressed to her ear. "Can you keep quiet for me, kitten?" he purred.

" _Yes,"_ she gasped, moving her hips to try to force him into her. " _Please,_ Dean, please-"

"Shh, kitten, I've got you, baby," he shushed her. He began to press into her, slowly, stretching her open and making her breathless.

The feeling of Dean entering her never failed to make her a little bit overwhelmed, a little bit dizzy. She watched his face, features set in concentration and pleasure, and was overcome by how much she loved the man currently rocking into her. She leaned up and pressed kisses to his shoulders and his warm neck, suddenly frantic again with need.

" _Dean,"_ she whispered fiercely.

She felt him grin against her cheek and drop his body just a bit lower, pressing them flush together from shoulders to hips. "I know, kitten, I've got you."

He started thrusting into her faster. Still not as much as she really wanted, but it was just enough to keep the headboard from banging against the wall, and the angle he was hitting her at still made it necessary for him to come up and cover her mouth with one of his big hands. "Shh, sweetheart, you've gotta be quiet." The reprimand was soft, and he kept his hand where it was, though, so she didn't try too hard to stifle the sounds he was wringing out of her.

He kept a steady, fast pace, and soon she was begging and moving in tandem with him, meeting him thrust for thrust. She watched as sweat started to bead on his temples, and knew that he was close, too.

"Are you ready to come for me, Piper?" he whispered harshly into her ear. She moaned and nodded as much as she could with his hand covering the bottom half of her face.

"Come on then, kitten, come for me, right now, Piper." His words panted in her ear, as he changed angles and hit that sweet spot repeatedly, _hard,_ sent her hurtling into orgasm. She bit his hand hard to keep quiet as her whole body shuddered and twitched, her hips still moving desperately with his.

She felt him tense up above her, and she raked her nails down his back lightly as he came, revelling in the feeling of his heat pumping into her. He let his forehead rest on her shoulder, and she held him close as the aftershocks wracked through him.

She closed her eyes and pressed her face into his slightly sweaty neck. She was again awash in the adoration she held for him in her heart, the way he held her and looked at her and loved her just as fiercely as he did everything else. She kept her arms around him for a long, long time, and he did the same, seemingly content just to hold her as their sweat cooled and their heartbeats returned to normal.

He finally lifted his head, pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose, and smiled. "Let's go clean up, kitten."

 **xxxxx**

If one was to ask Dean Winchester what his definition of peace was, his answer (provided that he was drunk enough to be comfortable talking about his emotions, which would be very, very drunk) would be the way Piper looked at him in the mornings when she woke up, before the weight of their shared world landed on their shoulders again.

After they showered (which ended up with her pressed up against the shower wall, smothering her cries with her sharp little teeth dug into his shoulder again), Dean let his wife lead him to the kitchen by the hand so he could shamelessly watch her ass as she walked.

This late in the morning, he knew that the weight he so dreaded would come crashing down on her just after coffee, when her head cleared of endorphins enough to think about their situation again. There would be nothing he could do to stop the world from intruding on their happiness indefinitely, but he'd been able to keep it at bay for a few hours. He'd been able to keep that feisty, loving light in her hazel eyes for a while, before their shine was dulled by worry and pain.

He'd count that as a win, any day.

 **xxxxx**

 ****I'm so sorry this took so long. The usual reasons (read: excuses) stand. Depression, anxiety, blah, blah, blah. I'm working on them, though, and updates should, fingers crossed, be more frequent.**  
 ****I love you guys. Thanks for sticking with me.**  
 ****Look! Smut! Like I'm a real writer!**  
 ****Feedback gives me the warm fuzzies and keeps me going.**


	88. It Doesn't Change Anything

Dean Winchester, when he could bear to think about it at all, thought he'd probably fallen in love with Piper Finley shortly after he'd pulled her from beneath the table he'd found her under.

He, simply put, loved almost everything about her. Her hair, her laugh, the way she cared about people, the way she bullied Bobby into letting her take care of him, the way she bullied Dean and Sam into letting her take care of them, the way she moved, even her smile. Almost every damn thing there was about Piper, Dean was there to adore it.

There was really only one thing he didn't like, and he despised it to the very core of his being. It kept him up at night, drove him to drink, had driven him into a stranger's bed on more than one occasion.

Piper was, and had been for several years, dating his brother.

* * *

Dean was investigating the scene of a hunt, scanning everything with the flashlight in his hand, grateful he wasn't still in Sioux Falls with Bobby, who was taking the word "surly" to whole new levels.

Piper had told them to go, and while Dean hated leaving her _(keep that thought to yourself),_ he was grateful that someone was left to take care of Bobby. Not that Piper came with them on hunts often, she rarely left the salvage yard. She claimed to be a "diet hunter," and though Dean chuckled every time she said it, it made him ache to be separated from her for so long, even if he _couldn't_ touch her like he wanted to.

 _Stop thinking like that._

It was a familiar mantra, one that Dean repeated to himself every day. Piper wasn't his, wasn't _anybody's,_ really, but more specifically she wasn't his. She was with Sam.

Which made sense. They were both smart, both well-read and articulate. They just… They looked _good,_ standing next to one another. Dean tried not to think about how much better he thought Piper would look under _his_ arm.

Outside of all that, though, was the fact that they were in love, and had been for a long time. All those years ago, when Sam had made a move before Dean had had the nerve to do so, seeking her out for comfort after Dean had sold his soul (and didn't Dean struggle not to be bitter about _that_ sometimes), Dean had easily decided to take a backseat to his brother. He'd spent his whole life putting Sam's interests ahead of his own, it was a no-brainer to do it again.

It shouldn't matter that Piper was Dean's everything, the sun around which he rotated, the only face that could comfort him sometimes. She was Sam's.

Dean tried to shake the thoughts away and flipped the switch for the EMF meter he held in his hand. It remained silent. "Not a beep."

Sam sighed. "Well, not a vengeful spirit, then. So what is it?"

Dean shrugged and kept looking around until Sam hummed. He turned to see Sam holding what looked like gold thread in his hand. "Whatcha got? What is that, Christmas tinsel?"

"I don't know." Sam rubbed it against a flowerpot. The thread left a gold streak. "It's actual gold." He frowned and looked up at Dean. "Why would a handyman have gold just lying around in his garage?"

"Dunno. There's definitely a skeleton in this family's closet."

* * *

Sam went down the steps of the home he'd just left, flipping his phone in his hand. He hadn't found anything about the family he'd been investigating, and he knew Dean would call him as soon as he was done interviewing the lawyer, Russo.

He was debating calling Piper. He knew she preferred he keep heavily in touch, and she tended to gather all of the information they found on a case and keep it all in one place. He knew he _needed_ to call her, to tell her what was up, to see if she'd found any other relevant information to what they were investigating.

It had just gotten so hard to talk to Piper. Things were strained, to say the least, and neither of them wanted to admit it, or admit that they knew why.

Shortly after he'd gotten back from hell, Sam had proposed. Piper had said, kindly and softly, that she wasn't sure that she was ready for that step. At the time, staying together had made sense to Sam. This was just a speed bump, it wasn't the end.

Now, standing there in front of the house he'd just been in, he wasn't so sure.

Especially because he _knew_ why she'd said, "no," and he knew why he hadn't brought up to anyone else what had happened. It all came down to Dean.

Dean had _never_ done anything untoward. He was often hesitant even to hug Piper, and eyed Sam guiltily for days afterward each time. Sam knew that Dean would (quite literally) rather die than hurt Sam by trying anything with Piper.

Which was the problem.

Because Sam had suspicions that Piper was harboring some feelings for his brother. She, too, had never done anything untoward, but Sam wasn't stupid. He saw the way her eyes would flick to Dean on occasion in a considering way. He saw the way she avoided touching Dean just as much as the elder Winchester avoided touching her. Sam wasn't stupid.

So he was still debating calling Piper when his phone rang. When Dean's name flashed across the screen, Sam winced in guilt a little bit and answered. "Hey."

"Sam."

"Find anything?"

"Uh, one asshat in a shiny suit. You?"

"Not much. Great grandparents born in Calabria. Emigrated in nineteen twelve. Been here ever since."

"What, no severed horse head?"

Sam huffed out a laugh. "Ha. Four generations of picket fence."

"If these people are the Waltons, then why the hell are they dying?"

"I don't know. Come get me, we'll do more research at the motel, and we'll call to see what Pipe has found."

The hesitant, barely there beat of silence would have been missed by anyone but Sam Winchester. "Sure thing."

Sam hung up without saying goodbye and waited for the sight of his brother's black Ford Mustang coming down the road.

* * *

With a flickering of lights, Balthazar appeared in the motel room.

The angel smirked. "Boys, boys, boys. Whatever can I do for you?"

Dean scowled. "We need to talk."

Balthazar feigned concern. "Oh, you seem upset, Dean?"

"The hell with the boat, Balthazar?"

"What boat?"

"The Titanic," Sam deadpanned beside Dean.

"Oh, the Titanic. Yes, well, it was meant to sink, and I saved it."

" _What?"_

The angel shrugged. "Well, it was meant to bash into this iceberg thing and plunge into the briney deep with all this hooplah, and I saved it. Anything else I can answer for you?

"Why?"

"Why what?"

Dean heaved a sigh. "Why did you unsink the ship?"

"Oh, because I hated the movie."

Dean was _done._ "What movie?"

The angel cackled. " _Exactly."_

"Wait," Sam had that wrinkle on his forehead that said he was trying to figure something out, "so you saved a cruise liner because-"

"Because that _God-awful_ Celine Dion song made me want to smite myself."

Sam was full on frowning now, too. "Who's Celine Dion?"

"Oh, she's a destitute lounge singer somewhere in Quebec, and let's keep it that way, please."

"I didn't think that was possible," Sam protested. "I thought you couldn't change history."

"Oh, haven't you noticed? There's no more rules, boys."

Dean rolled his eyes as Sam scoffed. "Wow, the nerve on you. So you just, what, unsunk a giant boat?"

"Oh, come on. I saved people! I thought you loved that kind of thing."

"Yeah, but now those people and their kids and their kids' kids, they must have interacted with, with so many other people, changed so much shit. You totally 'Butterfly Effected' history!

Dean was completely incapable of letting _that_ go. "Dude, rule one, no Kutcher references."

Balthazar sighed. "Ah, yes. Unfortunately, there's still an Ashton Kutcher. And you still averted the Apocalypse, and there are still Archangels. It's just the small details that are different, like you don't drive an Impala." At their confused looks, "Yes, yes, 'what's an Impala?' Trust me, it's not important. Let's see. Ellen and Jo Singer-Harvelle are alive and happy."

Dean felt that like a punch to the gut. "Ellen and Jo? What?"

The angel was still speaking, however. "And, of course, the lovely Piper isn't a Winchester, and is dating Sam, instead."

* * *

All of the air in the room had been sucked out as Sam stared at the angel. "Dating… Me… _Instead?"_

When he looked over to his brother, Dean's face looked like it could have been carved from stone. Sam knew it was a defense mechanism, a way to hide what Dean was feeling. _Shit._ If Piper had been here, she would know how to read him.

Maybe Sam knew why, now.

Balthazar seemed unfazed by the chaos he'd just dropped onto them.

"Oh, yes, she marries Dean soon before Ellen and Jo die. You see, I save a boat, one thing leads to another, which leads to another thousand things, and yada, yada, yada. To cut a long story short, Piper ends up with Samuel, and Ellen and Jo don't die in a massive explosion. So let's all just agree that I did a good thing. One less Billy Zane movie, Sam finally has a girlfriend who doesn't die a horrible, bloody death, and I saved two of your closest friends."

Sam tried to shake his shock away and stay focused on the problem at hand. "But now somebody is killing the descendants of the survivors."

"And?"

" _And_ that's maybe fifty thousand people."

"And?"

" _And,"_ Sam couldn't detect any emotion but anger in Dean's voice, "we need to save as many as we can, but we need to know who's after 'em."

"Oh, uh, sorry. You have me confused with the other angel - you know, the one in the dirty trenchcoat who's in love with Piper. I, however, don't care."

He vanished.

* * *

"Dean."

"No, Sam."

Dean heard his brother roll his eyes, but he was ignoring him for the tumbler of whiskey in his hand, trying to figure out what their next move was. "Shit."

" _Dean."_

"Sam, we're not talking about this."

Sam finally came and took the glass out of Dean's hand, put it out of his reach and sat next to him. "Dean, we need to."

Dean tilted his head back to look at the ceiling so he could avoid eye contact with his brother. "Why, Sam? It doesn't change anything."

" _How?"_

He finally looked at his brother, and instead of yelling like he wanted to, he kept his voice almost too soft, kept his tone even. "Because, Sam, Piper loves you, and you love her. We have no idea what that dick meant, if he meant she'd…" Dean swallowed hard. "If he meant she'd be with me. And even if he did mean that, it would come at the price of Ellen and Jo. You wanna explain to Bobby that we killed his wife and our surrogate sister so that I could be with Piper? Because I do not."

Sam inhaled sharply, but was silent otherwise. Dean nodded, knowing he had won the argument, and tried to ignore the deep chasm of pain that had opened where his heart once was. "All right. Go call Piper to find out what she's got. I'm gonna… Go for a walk."

He couldn't deal with hearing her voice, not just then. Not when he knew that, in a world where everything was as it was supposed to be, Piper was, in fact, his.

* * *

Dean crept into the abandoned restaurant they had followed Fate into, swinging his flashlight back and forth. Maybe he was being reckless, but he couldn't find it in himself to care. There was a constant mantra of _Piper would have been a Winchester she would have been mine not Sam's mine not Sam's Piper would have been a Winchester we would have been_ married-

"Hello?" He interrupted himself. "Hello?"

He heard Sam come in behind him at the same time that his flashlight died. "Oh, come on."

Sam tapped him on the arm. "You got a lighter?"

They'd been pretty quiet since they left the motel. Neither wanted to talk about the implications of what the angel had said. "Yeah, okay."

Sam took the Zippo and started to flick it, but the spark sputtered and didn't catch. "Oh, come on. Is it out of juice or something?"

"It shouldn't be."

The lighter finally caught, and the entire world bloomed in flames and fire. Before it really sank in what was happening, Castiel grabbed them both and yanked them out of the way.

Dean blinked and looked around the forest they were in, then looked back at his angel friend. "Heya, Cas."

* * *

 _A dark forest._

 _An angel named Atropos, angry at the Winchesters and Castiel alike._

 _A deal struck._

* * *

Dean jerked to consciousness in the front seat of Baby. "My Heart Will Go On" played on the radio.

Sam was waking up next to him. "Dude, what time is it? I… I just had the weirdest dream."

Dean scoffed. "Twenty bucks says mine was weirder. I am not kidding."

"No, no, no, I'm not kidding, either. I mean, it was… Just bizarre."

"Mine had the _actual_ Titanic in it." Sam paled, and Dean cocked an eyebrow. "What? Something on my face?"

"Did… Did it, uh… Not sink, because Balthazar-"

"Had a hate on for Billy Zane?" Dean frowned. "Why are you having my dreams?"

"Wasn't a dream," Cass deadpanned from behind them.

* * *

Piper jumped when Dean burst through the door, and took in with wide eyes as he scanned the room, then strode toward her and swept him up into her arms. He crushed her to him, and she slowly wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close. "Dean? Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

"I love you," he said roughly into her neck, and she realized this was a little deeper than her husband feeling needy.

She leaned back a little, just so her lips were pressed to his temple. "Talk to me."

He took a deep breath, then let it out explosively. "Cass and Balthazar unsunk the Titanic…"

* * *

Sam watched surreptitiously through the doorway as his brother spoke to his sister-in-law.

While the loss of Ellen and Jo was cutting just as deeply as it had the first time, Sam was glad things were back the way they were supposed to be. As much as he loved Piper, it had been like trying to be in love with his sister. Emphasis on the _trying_ part, because it had felt stiff and unnatural the entire time.

No, he decided, as he turned to go back to his bedroom to catch up on his research, this was better. There was no better love story than Dean and Piper's, and he felt guilty enough having intruded on it as much as he had.

He'd let them have this evening to catch up. They could hunt Eve again tomorrow.

* * *

 ****This was supposed to be kind of funny, and ended up kind of angsty. Huh.**  
 ****Feedback gives me the warm fuzzies and keeps me going.**


	89. This is Not Awesome

Piper helped Dean shove Samuel Campbell's desk off of the trapdoor that was hidden beneath it. She helped as much as she could, but the play of muscle in her husband's arms was… Distracting.

"I'll be damned," Bobby said thoughtfully, pulling her from her detailed examination of Dean's physique.

They climbed down through the trapdoor, Piper going first at Dean's insistence. Since the "dream" he and Sam had had about the Titanic not sinking, he had been more protective than he had been in years. The thought was nice, but it was about to drive her crazy. She had not become spontaneously made of glass since the Titanic debacle.

When they were all on the ground, Sam looked around, arms flung wide. "Welcome to the Campbell family library."

Dean's eye was critical as he scanned his surroundings. "So, Samuel collected all this stuff, huh?"

"Apparently."

"All right," Piper said, rubbing her hands together. "What are we looking for?"

"Well, anything that'll put a run in the Octomom's stockings," Bobby said grimly. "Pick a row."

* * *

"Okay," Piper said, breaking the silence and looking up from her book. "Who's ever heard anything about a phoenix?"

Dean pretended to be startled, or to have just looked up, but he'd been staring at her for quite a while, entranced by the way the fluorescent lights shone on her auburn hair. Probably not the most romantic thought he'd ever had, but there it was. Ever since what Piper called "the Titanic incident," it had really hit home that he… He might not have ended up with her, here.

Looking back now, Dean could acknowledge that he'd had feelings for Piper for a long, long time before the night they'd gotten together. His dumb ass _never_ would have made a move, had it not been for the moment of impulsivity he'd experienced the night a few weeks after his deal.

It was a thought that had been keeping him up at night.

He stood and walked over to read over her shoulder, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "We talkin' River, Joaquin, or the giant flaming bird?"

She leaned back into him a little. "The bird. It says here that the ashes of a Phoenix can burn the mother."

Sam frowned from where he was seated. "The mother?"

Dean kept reading over Piper's shoulder. "Great. Where do we get one?"

In his peripheral vision, he saw Bobby shrug. "Beats me. I thought they were a myth."

Piper sighed. "Well, let's see if we can find something about a phoenix."

* * *

A few hours later, Dean sat up abruptly, making Piper jump.

"Guys, guys, guys, guys, guys, guys! Check this out." Piper stood and followed when Dean moved to join Bobby and Sam at the table they were reading at. He set the book he was holding down on the table and began to read aloud. "'March fifth, eighteen-sixty-one. Sunrise, Wyoming. Gun killed a phoenix today. Left a pile of _smoldering ash.'"_ His excitement bled into his tone for the last two words.

Piper was smiling at her husband's giddiness as Sam spoke. "Really? Who's gun?"

"Colt's," Dean said proudly.

Piper's eyebrows went up. "Colt? Colt like…"

"Like _the_ Colt. From…" He held up the journal he'd read from. "Samuel Colt's journal."

"What?!" Sam's face lit up. "That's his?" He made grabby hands. "Let me see."

Dean held it away. "Get your own."

Bobby was scowling at both of them. "Well, what else did he say about the phoenix? What does it look like? Has it got… Feathers, or something?"

Dean shrugged. "It just says 'phoenix.'"

"Did he say where he tracked it?" Piper asked.

"Nope."

Sam clapped his hands together. "All right, so I guess we've got to find one of our own, whatever… It… Is," he finished lamely.

Dean grinned. "I know where we can find one. March fifth, eighteen-sixty-one. Sunrise, Wyoming." He looked around, almost _vibrating_ with excitement. "We'll _Star Trek IV_ this bitch."

Piper was torn between the urge to laugh and the urge to roll her eyes. "Dean…"

Sam shrugged, and Bobby frowned. "I only watched _Deep Space Nine."_

Dean threw his hands up. "It's like I don't even know you guys anymore." He looked at Piper. "Pipes, baby, come on, tell me you know what I'm talking about."

She sighed. "Dean, I do, but we-"

"What are you talking about?" Bobby asked.

"We hop back in time, we join up with Samuel Colt, we hunt the phoenix, and then we haul the ashes back home with us."

Bobby was scowling. "Time travel?"

Dean nodded, excitement not dimmed at all. "Yeah."

"And that's a reasonable plan?"

Dean shrugged. "We got a guy who can swing it." He stood up and closed his eyes, leaning his weight on his hands placed on the table. "Castiel, the-"

Piper put her hand over her husband's. "Dean."

He blinked and looked down at her. "Huh?"

Piper winced. "Dean, do you think… I mean, Cass is pretty busy right now."

For the first time since he'd found the journal, Dean didn't look excited. Piper despised being the one who put that look on his face, but she didn't want to put too much strain on Cass. Dean tended to have… Tunnel vision, but Castiel was in heaven, fighting a _war._ If he lost, they'd be right back where they started, but with none of the angelic assistance they'd had the first go-round with the apocalypse.

"I'm just thinking that there are maybe easier ways to do this," she said softly. "Maybe calling Cass as our first option isn't our best bet."

He stared at her for a long time, and Piper held her breath while she wanted for him to decide if he was angry with her. She would weather the storm if he was, she wasn't scared of Dean, for God's sake, but it would suck. She hated fighting with him.

He sighed. "I guess you're right…" he said reluctantly.

A new voice from behind them had Piper standing as she spun, pulling the gun from her belt and pointing it at the newcomer.

"My Father, it's like you can _learn."_

The blonde woman had a snide look on her relatively pretty face. She was dressed in a grey business suit, and since she'd appeared out of nowhere, Piper had a good guess as to who she was.

"You're an angel?"

"Rachel. I gather you need assistance."

Sam frowned. "You got all of that from Dean just saying Cass' name?"

Rachel's sneer deepened. "Our leader seems to be… _Very_ in tune with the three of you annoying creatures. He said you wouldn't call unless you needed something dire." She sniffs. "I don't know if I agree with that, but-"

"Hey," Piper snapped, incensed at the implication that she would _use_ her friend. "We were gonna find another way to fix this when you _I Dream of Jeannie_ 'd your way in here, so I don't want to _hear_ it." Piper kept her gun steady on the angel (she knew it wouldn't hurt her, but it made Piper feel better, anyway). "If you're going to be a bitch, you can go. We're Cass' friends, we know he's going through a lot."

" _Are_ you?" Rachel spat. "Because from where I'm sitting, it looks like you call him every time you stub your toe, you useless little bi-"

"Rachel."

Piper's eyes widened when she took in Cass standing behind the blonde angel, staring at her quizzically.

Rachel turned. "I told you I'd take care of this."

"I can handle it," he intoned gravely. "You can go." Rachel huffed, but disappeared obediently.

"Cass," Piper protested softly, "You don't have to do this."

"Yeah," Dean said from next to her. "If Miss Universe can zap us back, we can put up with her shitty attitude."

"Rachel is my lieutenant," Castiel said apologetically. "She's… Dedicated to the cause."

His diplomacy made Piper smile, even as she was stepping forward to wrap her arms around his neck. "Thanks for coming," she said softly. "Sorry."

His arms only hesitated a beat before coming around her waist and hugging her back. "I'll always come when you call."

She stepped back and beamed up at him. "I know you will, we just feel bad. I know you're busy."

He shook his head. "What do you need?"

* * *

Piper felt patently ridiculous.

She loved her husband, she _did._ She would _die_ for Dean Winchester, she would do any number of terrible things for him. Piper _loved her husband._

But she was considering shooting him. She wondered if Cass would blame her, or if he could make sure she got into heaven despite murdering her husband. Did he like her or Dean more?

She felt _ridiculous_ in the getup Dean had insisted she wear (and damn him for using those Winchester puppy dog eyes on her).

She followed the Winchesters into the saloon, which knocked her out of her reverie. _Oh, God._ It was covered in filth, just like the people, and it was beginning to become quite clear why life expectancy had gone up since this time period. She wrinkled her nose at the smell.

A few men at a table nearby gave her a leer, so she stared them down until they all shifted uncomfortably. _Idiots,_ she thought darkly, turning to see Dean ordering a shot of whiskey at the bar. Frowning, she came up to stand between he and Sam.

"Dean, honey, that's going to taste like kerosene."

"Pipes, kitten, it's _authentic."_

"It's disgusting," she said frankly, though she did keep her voice down. She couldn't help the smile on her face, watching his dancing green eyes as he took everything in. "But I'm glad you're happy."

He grinned and looped an arm around her waist. "Always am when I'm with you, baby."

She rolled her eyes and turned to listen to Sam speak with the bartender. "You know a man named Samuel Colt?"

Elkins, the bartender, continued to pour Dean's shot. "He passed through here about four years ago."

"Is he still around?" Piper asked.

"Rumor is, he's building a railroad top twenty miles out of town, just by the postal road." He snorted. "Middle of nowhere."

Sam turned to look down at her. "Devil's Gate?"

"Location fits," Dean said thoughtfully from behind her.

" _Howdy,_ boys!"

Piper turned to see a _very_ immodestly dressed woman leaning up against Dean, pressing her barely-covered breasts against his arm. Elkins, the bartender, smiled. "Darla's my best girl, gentlemen."

Dean smiled tightly, clearly uncomfortable. "Well, I, uh, I'm married. _Real_ married, Darla."

Piper's expression was tight for a different reason. "To _me,"_ she snarled.

Darla was distracted, luckily, from Piper's hostility by the judge they'd seen earlier walking in. The prostitute cheered happily and swayed over to the man, making exclamations about a date and the room she always kept for him.

Dean watched with a horrified expression, then turned and slammed his shot of whiskey. His face contorted with disgust, and when he was done, he looked at Piper with despair. "This is _not_ awesome."

She smiled and cupped his face. "I know, sweetheart, I'm sorry."

* * *

Hours later, Dean was glaring at his (distractingly lovely) wife, furious.

The judge had burned in bed with the hooker, and Darla had claimed that the man who had been hung in the town square earlier was at fault. The Sheriff was inclined to believe her, and so was Dean. Elias Finch was their phoenix.

The problem was this:

The only thing they knew, surefire, that would kill a phoenix was the Colt. They couldn't all go get it, however, because Elias _was_ still running around, and Dean didn't want anyone else to get hurt if they could help it.

Which all would be fine, but Dean and Sam had already been brought on board to the posse assigned to hunt Finch, and that just left Piper to go find Samuel Colt and ask to borrow his gun.

Which was _not happening._

"Absolutely not."

Piper nodded wisely. "Ah, yes. Well, I have always done exactly what you told me to do."

Dean growled in frustration. "Pipes, it's not _safe."_

"Dean, nothing is safe, and I'm going!"

"Sam, tell her she's not going."

Sam, the wuss, _visibly_ paled when Piper turned her hazel glare onto him. "Yeah, no way, I'm not getting involved in this."

Piper stormed over to the horse she'd brought out, because she had already been planning to fight about this, apparently. Dean kept glaring at her as she mounted (which was hot), settled herself sidesaddle on the giant animal (also… kind of hot) and rode the horse up to him until she could lean down and cup his face.

"I love you," she said softly, vehemently. "Go catch the bad guy, I'll be back soon."

"I don't like it."

She smiled. "I know, baby."

* * *

When Piper arrived at Samuel Colt's house, she dutifully tethered her horse to a tree outside and tried to quell the nervous butterflies in her stomach. _Quit being ridiculous,_ she scolded herself. _It doesn't matter if he likes you._

She knocked on the door, unsure of what to expect.

What she did _not_ expect, however, was to have a flask of holy water splashed onto her face.

She blinked, then wiped her face with a scowl. "I'm not a demon, I'm a _hunter."_

The man standing in front of her was an older gentleman, and was blatantly staring at her. "You're a _what?"_

"A _hunter."_

"You're a woman."

She glared again. "Very astute. Are you going to let me in?" He stepped back to allow her entry, and she started speaking as she brushed by him. "My name is Piper Winchester. I'm a hunter from the year two-thousand-eleven."

"Prove it."

She thought for a moment, then pulled her cell phone from her bodice. She handed it over, surveying the man as he stared at it. He seemed to have gotten over the "woman" thing, and she was glad, because she did _not_ want to have to explain to her husband that she'd had to kick Samuel Colt's ass for being a sexist.

Colt shrugged and pocketed her phone. "All right."

She raised her eyebrows. "Just like that?"

"Well, when you've done this long as I have, a beautiful woman from the future with a magic brick doesn't exactly give you the vapors."

Piper smiled. "Mr. Colt, I think we're going to get along just fine."

* * *

 _Getting shot at is really getting' kind of old,_ Dean thought to himself, scowling as he hid from Elias Finch.

"Come on, Pipes, never been late a day in your life," he muttered. "Where the hell are you?"

As he said it, he heard her shout. " _Dean!"_

As much as he hated being shot at, and Jesus _Christ_ did he hate the idea of being shot at, he hated the idea of someone shooting at Piper even more. He shot to his feet and scanned the street, finally spotting her down the street, crouched behind the saloon. He ran to her, staying low, and ignoring the irritated look in her eye because he'd put himself directly in the line of fire to get to her.

"Where is he?" he panted as he skidded to a stop beside her.

"He's not coming, but he sent me with the Colt."

"Good." Before she could argue, he wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and brought her in for a brutal kiss. While she was distracted, he grabbed the gun from her hand. He pulled away and looked her in the eye. "Love you, kitten," he murmured, just before standing and striding confidently out to the middle of the road. " _Finch!_ Get out here!" he bellowed, ignoring Piper hissing his name.

Finch walked out to the road to face Dean. "So, this is how you want to die? Your pretty woman watching when you hit the dirt?" The phoenix shrugs. "Fine."

Dean couldn't contain just a _smidge_ of glee as they waited for the clock to strike noon, because he's a _real life Western shoot-out._ As soon as the clock struck, he drew, and was immensely satisfied to see the phoenix glance down in surprise as he died.

 _Teach you to shoot at my wife,_ Dean thought maliciously.

Before he could enjoy his triumph, he felt the familiar way the world tilted away from him when they flew via angel wings, and he was back in Bobby's study.

He immediately turned to Cass, who admittedly looked a little rough. "You gotta send us back."

"Dean," Piper said severely as she hurried to Cass. "Look at him! He's obviously drained."

Castiel nodded. "I never want to do that again."

Piper nodded and ran her fingers through his dark hair soothingly. "You did great, Cass."

Dean glared. " _I_ did great," he muttered, then flipped Sam off when he saw that his brother was smirking at his behavior. When he looked around, he saw that Bobby was leaning against the desk, pale and shaking. "Bobby, you-"

"I'm still kickin', Annie Oakley," the older hunter said drily. "Be back good as new in… A decade or two." Piper left Castiel to fuss over Bobby next.

Dean heaved a sigh. "And we screwed the pooch. Bobby, I'm sorry."

Before anyone could say anything else, there was a knock at the door. Dean drew his gun, and was proud when he saw Piper do the same. Sam answered the door warily, opening it to reveal a courier delivery man.

The man looked down at his folder, then peered into the room. "Is there a Piper Winchester here?"

Piper frowned and hid her gun behind her. "Who's asking?"

The man zeroed in on her. "Look, this is nuts. Me and a couple of guys made a bet. So…" He held out a very old, very battered package. "This thing's been lying around the office since… Ever? Uh, with a note on it saying to bring it here today. It's from a…" He peered at the box. "Samuel Colt?"

Piper grinned. "Yeah, that's mine, then." She took the package from the man and thanked him. When she turned, all four men in the house were staring at her, a bit awestruck. Dean chuckled when she rolled her eyes, then made way for her to come stand next to him to place the package on the desk. He looped an arm around her waist while she pulled the letter off and read it aloud.

 _Dear Piper,_

 _I got this address and date off your thingamajig, and I thought the enclosed might come in handy._

 _Regards, Samuel Colt._

 _P.S. (you ever get bored, pretty lady, you know when to find me)_

She laughed delightedly, and Dean scowled. " _What?"_

She patted his arm. "Samuel Colt is just an old flirt, Dean. No reason to get jealous."

Dean growled and tightened his grip on her, pressing a kiss to her hair. "Damn right," he muttered, then glared at her when she shook with more laughter as she pulled out a glass bottle filled with grey powder.

Bobby's eyebrows went up. "That what I think it is?"

Piper had a fond smile on her face when she nodded. "Ashes of a phoenix. Samuel must have gone to get them for me."

"You know what this means?" Dean asked, anticipation starting to thrum through him, despite the irritation at a man who'd been dead for a hundred years for flirting with his wife.

Bobby snorted. "Yeah, I didn't get a soulonoscopy for nothin'."

"Yes," Dean nodded. "And, it means we take the fight to her."

* * *

 ****Feedback gives me the warm fuzzies and keeps me going.**


	90. Don't Listen to Him

Dean was scowling at the shotgun shells he'd finished packing with phoenix ashes when Piper, Sam, and Bobby walked into the study. When Piper came around the desk, he automatically turned in his chair and held an arm out so she could settle into his lap. He wrapped his arm around her waist and tugged her close, still glaring at the desk.

"How you doing in here?" Sam asked carefully.

"Five shells," Dean growled. "That's how I'm doing."

Piper picked one up to examine it. "Well, it's more than we had before."

Dean continued to glare. "Maybe."

Sam frowned. "Maybe?"

Dean picked up a pinch of the ashes he had left over from the shells and rubbed them onto his arm. "I had a little mishap a few minutes ago, and _look."_ The ashes had no more effect on him than if he'd taken some from the fireplace and done the same. "This stuff is supposed to burn the shit out of Eve, but it doesn't even give me a sunburn."

"Huh," Bobby said thoughtfully. "Lore says it works."

"Well, maybe it's like iron or silver," Piper inserted. "It hurts them, but not us."

Dean sighed. "Maybe, but fat lot of good it does until we find the bitch."

Bobby sighed, too. "I'm looking, but I'm thinking maybe it's time one of you," he nodded to the couple behind the desk, "made a _call."_

Dean frowned. "Why has it always gotta be one of us, huh? It's not like Cass lives in-"

" _Dean,"_ Piper said severely, probably sensing that Dean was about to get crude. "I'll call him."

Piper closed her eyes, and while she prayed (silently, which was something Dean almost never did), he admired her pretty face, the way her eyelashes made little spikes of shadow along her cheeks in the sunshine.

A rustle of feathers, then, "Hello, Piper."

Dean looked, and Piper opened her eyes, to see Castiel standing behind Bobby and Sam.

Piper smiled sunnily. "Hey, Cass."

"Have you made any progress in locating Eve?"

Dean frowned when the angel jumped right to business, but Bobby was already shaking his head. "We were gonna ask you about that."

"No, I've looked, but she's hidden from me. She's hidden from all angels."

"Awesome," Dean snarled.

"You know," Sam said thoughtfully, "what we really need is an inside man."

Piper tilted her head. "Meaning?"

"Something with claws _and_ sympathy."

"Like, a friendly monster?" When Sam shrugged, Dean frowned again. "Those are in short supply these days, don't you think?"

"We've met one or two," Piper said with a nod. "That's a good idea."

* * *

As they landed in Grants Pass, Oregon, the place where the vampire Lenore had told them that Eve was, Piper tried to let go of the anger at Castiel.

When Lenore had suggested that they kill her, Piper had been horrified. Lenore hadn't done anything _wrong,_ besides to live her life and try to be good. Piper had understood that Lenore had messed up, had killed a girl, but she was _trying,_ and they could _help._ That's what the goddamn panic room was _for!_

Instead, Cass had smote her without a second thought.

Granted, he had looked remorseful, once he'd seen the upset on Piper's face, but she was struggling with forgiveness for a moment. It had been a callous move, and given more time, Piper felt confident that she would have been able to convince Lenore to live.

Now there was another life lost senselessly.

She dragged herself back to the present as Dean spoke, glaring around them. "Well, I was expecting more Zombieland, less Pleasantville."

She looked around. It _was_ kind of a white-picket area, with the sun shining through healthy trees. There was a dog barking in the distance, and a group of well-dressed children riding their bikes on the sidewalks.

"Just because it looks quiet don't mean it is," Bobby said ominously. "Especially if she's got a clue that we're coming."

"Well, if she _is_ here, I'm glad we've got Smitey McSmiterton on our squad." Dean clapped a hand on Cass' shoulder. "Where do we start?"

"I'm gonna need a computer," Bobby said, starting off in a seemingly random direction.

* * *

Dean was sitting with his arm around the back of the bench behind Piper, trying not to laugh out loud at the stare-down Sam and Bobby were having.

"All right," Bobby said. "I finally got the police database, no thanks to this." He gestured to the tablet in his hand. "I asked for a computer."

Sam rolled his eyes. "It _is_ a computer."

"No, a computer has _buttons."_

Dean looked down and grinned at Piper. She smiled back, and he was relieved to see that some of the shadows in her eyes were gone. He knew she'd been upset when Cass had killed Lenore, hell, _he'd_ been upset when Cass had killed Lenore, but not to the extent Piper had been.

Dean knew, from late-night conversations, that Piper was worried about Castiel. She was worried about the war, of course, and about him being hurt or worse ("Dean, if he died, no one would bother to tell us. We wouldn't even _know.")._ She was also worried, though, about him losing some of the humanity he'd fought so hard for.

They had seen it in the Impala after Sam had gone into the pit, that Castiel had been harder than he had been in a long time. With the way he'd smoked Lenore, it looked like they were maybe returning to the same problem. Dean resolved to keep an eye on the angel, and if he stepped too far out of line, he'd pull him aside and talk to him. Piper was important to Cass, too, he figured the angel would listen to reason if it was about her.

"Can I get y'all anything else?"

The waitress yanked Dean from his thoughts and he smiled blandly at her. "No, we're good, thanks."

As soon as she was gone, they all turned their attention back to Bobby. "Have you found anything?" Piper asked.

"Oh, nickel and dime stuff, nothing weird. Basically a dead end." He looked up at Cass. "You think Vampira was lying?"

"I'll search the town," Cass intoned. "Give me a moment."

Unfortunately, despite the good exit line, nothing happened. Dean frowned. "Cass, we can still see you."

"Yes, I'm still here." The angel was frowning. "Something's wrong."

Piper sat up. "What? Are you stuck?"

"I'm blocked. Powerless."

"You're _joking,"_ Dean said incredulously.

"Something in this town is, uh, it's affecting me. I assume it's Eve."

"So, wait, Mom's making you limp?"

Dean was met with three separate glares, which was a new record for him. "Figuratively, yes," Cass bit out.

"How?"

"I don't know, but she is."

Dean groaned. "Well, that's great, because without your power, you're basically just a baby in a trenchcoat." At that, Piper elbowed him in the side, _hard._ "Ouch, woman!"

She was already ignoring him in favor of reaching out to place her hand on top of Cass'. "Don't listen to him, okay? You're not useless. We still need you."

Before Dean could protest, Bobby interrupted them. "I got something here, maybe. Had to go federal to get it. Call went out from the local office to the CDC last night."

Sam frowned. "About what?"

"A Dr. Silver called in an illness he couldn't identify. Patient's a twenty-five-year-old African American, name 'Ed Bright.'"

"Well, that's not a lot to go on."

"Well, it's our only lead, so-"

"So beggars can't be choosers, right?" Dean snarked. "I get it. All right, let's finish up."

* * *

Piper followed Dean and Cass as they approached Dr. Silver's office. A woman was standing outside, locking the door behind her.

"Excuse me!" She turned to look at Dean. "Hi, uh, is Dr. Silver in today?" He pointed to Cass. "My friend is very sick."

"I have a, uh, painful burning sensation," Cass said as stoically as possible. Piper schooled her features to make sure she didn't laugh out loud.

The woman made a face. "Uh, oh. Well, he's out. Sorry."

"Do you happen to know where he is?" Piper asked.

"He hasn't called in." She looked at Cass. "You might want to find yourself some ointment." She walked off to her car.

Dean was frowning. "What kind of doctor calls the CDC and then goes AWOL the very next day?"

"Well," Piper said cheerfully. "Let's find out, shall we?" She pulled out her lock pick set and started to fiddle with the door.

"Is this going to take a long time?" Castiel asked.

Before she could snark back at him, Piper looked down and noticed a drop of dark liquid on the ground just outside the door. She leaned down and touched the drop with her finger. _Blood._

"What is it?" Cass asked.

Without responding, she led them to the shed that was just next to the doctor's office. The padlock on the door was covered in blood. She motioned to Cas, who stepped forward and broke it off. When they looked inside, she wrinkled her nose at the sight of the body wrapped in plastic.

Dean leaned down to unwrap it a little to reveal their Patient Zero, Ed.

"Gross," Piper remarked as Dean covered him back up.

"It's the patient Ed Bright," Cass said, a bit unnecessarily.

"Well, what kind of doctor calls the CDC, then stashes the gooey corpse in the shed?"

Cass looked as lost as Piper felt. "I don't understand what's happening here."

"Well, before we do anything, we're going to need to burn the body," Piper said firmly.

* * *

They met up with Sam and Bobby outside of Ed's house. After exchanging all learned information, Dean was frowning again. "So we've got a missing doctor and an oozing patient."

"The plot thickens," Sam said, his brow furrowed.

"Well, let's go talk to Ed's roommates, see what they have to say."

Before any of them could move, Dean felt a hand on his elbow. "Does Ed Bright have a brother?" Cass asked.

"Uh, no," Bobby replied. "Why?"

Cass pointed. "Then that's _not_ his twin."

Then they all looked, there was a man next to the window of the house who looked _precisely_ like Ed. Dean scowled. " _Shit."_

Sam was frowning, too. "So, what, shifter?"

Bobby shrugged. "I got no idea what we're looking at."

"All right," Piper said finally. "Dean and I are going in. You three stay out here and watch the house. If anything comes out, shoot it."

"Best guess, silver bullets." Dean added.

Cass looked as close to nervous as Dean had ever seen him look. "I'm fairly unpracticed with firearms."

Dean pointed at him. "You know who whines? Babies."

" _Dean Winchester,"_ Piper scolded.

" _What?"_

* * *

When they walked in, Piper had to cover her nose to shield herself as much as possible from the smell. There were several dead men scattered around the front room and foyer area, all of whom looked like Ed Bright.

Dean made a disgusted noise behind her. "Okay, don't touch anything, kitten."

She was about to assure him that her touching something wasn't a concern when one of the "bodies" started to move. "Dean! Back here!" She hurried over and knelt beside the man. "Hey, hey, hey," she said soothingly as he coughed. "What is it? Talk to me."

"Ed, Ed," Dean tried. "What's going on?"

The man frowned. "What? I'm not Ed." Before he could elaborate, he coughed harshly and groaned.

Piper carefully pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and flipped it open to the driver's license. The name said, "Marshall Todd."

Marshall groaned again. "What's wrong with me?"

"Shh, you're okay," Piper cooed. "You're okay, you're okay, all right? I'm gonna get you some help."

Marshall reached up and clasped onto her sleeve, making Piper's heart clench in sympathy. "Do we… Do I look like Ed?" he asked desperately.

"Shh, no, no," she soothed, instinctively wanting to comfort him, "You have a fever, okay? You're hallucinating, but you're gonna be okay."

"Marshall?" His fevered gaze swung to Dean, who was clearly also trying to be soothing. "Hey, buddy. What happened here?"

"Am I gonna die?" the man on the ground whispered.

"No," Piper said firmly. "No, but you're pretty sick, and we need you to talk to us so we can make sure no one else gets sick, too, okay?"

"Ed," he spluttered out. "Ed was feeling bad so I took him to the doctor." Another hacking cough, then, "And now I think we're all sick."

"Before you got sick," Piper asked, itching to run her hands through his hair, but knowing it was a bad idea. "Before Ed got sick, did you go anywhere or do anything?"

"Some bar."

"A bar? What bar?" Dean asked.

"Eight Street."

"And did anything happen at the bar? Did you see anything? Or meet anyone?"

"A girl." He was fading fast.

"A girl? What happened?"

"A girl in white." Marshall's eyes rolled up in the back of his head.

"Good, you're doing so well, Marshall. What did the girl in white do? What did she do to Ed?" There was no response, and Piper sighed. "Fuck."

She stood and they walked out of the house by silent agreement.

"I don't get it," Dean said with a frown. "A bunch of regular Joes wake up shifters? What the fuck?"

"Shifters usually run in families. This looks like… An _infection."_ Piper looked over at Dean. "You didn't touch anything, right?"

"Well, I'm gonna _bathe_ in Purell, but no, I'm good."

They met with the other three on the sidewalk again. "Okay, so he said they met a girl at a bar on Eight street," Piper informed them.

"Gotta be Eve," Dean finished.

"But why would she do this?" Cass asked, head tilted.

"Mommy monster," Bobby shrugged. "Gotta make more."

"No, I mean, Cass is right," Piper protested. "If she's aiming to make a shifter army, why make one that's sick?"

"And gooey and dying," Dean added helpfully.

Bobby shrugged again. "Add that to the pile of 'Shit That Don't Make Sense.'"

Piper sighed. "Well, let's hit the bar, then."

* * *

 ****Feedback gives me the warm fuzzies and keeps me going.**  
 ****Sorry about the delay in update! We've just been so busy with the holidays.**  
 ****You may notice some formatting changes going on, too, especially if you're a rereader. Starting at Ch. 1, I'm going through and editing/cleaning up the whole story.**


	91. Horrible and Hard to Kill

Dean scowled around the bar that Marshall had led them to, which was _littered_ with bodies. "I take you to the nicest places, kitten," he muttered. His wife snorted next to him.

Bobby was frowning, too. "Well, the sheriff's a mook, but _still._ You'd think he'd notice _this_ many missing folks."

Dean grabbed a towel from the bar, then approached one of the bodies and knelt next to it. Using the rag, he lifted the upper lip and pressed down on the gum. A long, thin fang extended, and he grimaced. "We got a vamp over here."

Piper came to stand next to him, and shifted the thing's arm with her foot. A spike was protruding from its wrist. "Well, that's a spike from a wraith," she said. "What has fangs _and_ a spike?"

When they looked over at Bobby, the older hunter was scratching his chin. "Never seen it in my life."

" _Ugh._ So, Eve's making _hybrids_ now?"

"Looks like."

"The question is why," Piper said thoughtfully.

"Yeah!" Dean was _irritated._ "I mean, what does she want with a… What do we even call these?"

Bobby shrugged. "Well congrats. You discovered it. You get to name it."

Dean grinned. "Jefferson Starships." Piper laughed out loud, while Bobby, Sam, and Cass just looked confused. "Because they're horrible and hard to kill."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Whatever. It looks like the whole bar has been turned into these…"

Dean grinned again. " _Jefferson Starships,"_ he said with relish.

Sam's bitchface was in full force. " _Fine._ But why are all the… Starships dead?"

"I can't say," Bobby said from across the room, "but it looks like they were all burned up."

"Burned up like a fever?" Piper asked, walking over to join him.

"Yeah. The flu, kinda."

Dean frowned. "What the fuck is going on here? Does every monster in this town have the motaba virus?"

Piper opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by the door slamming open. The sheriff and two officers rushed in, guns drawn, already shouting. "Hands where I can see 'em!"

Because Dean had already been crouched, he was able to scramble behind the bar, out of sight. He peeked around, already irritated and restless at the thought of the other three being taken away from him. Specifically Piper.

"Now, this is not what it looks like," Cass intoned.

"We're the _Feds,"_ Piper snapped, obviously already agitated.

The sheriff scoffed. "Yeah? Well, Feds aren't allowed to do this." To the officers. "Cuff 'em."

Dean watched helplessly as the hunters were handcuffed and led away.

* * *

Piper tried to reel in her frustration as the officers manhandled her into the police station. She spared a moment to be grateful that Dean wasn't there to see their rough treatment of her. She didn't think he would have handled that very well.

"Listen," she insisted. "if we can just make a phone call, we can straighten all of this out."

The sheriff scoffed. "Straighten out a massacre? I'd like to see you try."

Before she could retort, Sam reared back and headbutt the sheriff.

" _Sam!"_

"Jefferson Starships!"

Piper yanked herself to the side, throwing the officer that was holding her off balance. It snarled at her, and she kicked out hard, wincing when she heard its knee snap. As it howled, she watched a machete slice through its throat, and in the resulting spray of blood, her husband stood there, face stony and vengeful.

He gave her a quick onceover, then turned back toward the action. Cass was busy killing the officer who'd attacked Bobby, and Dean raised his machete to kill the sheriff, who was trying to kill Sam.

"Dean!" Sam shouted. "Wait!"

* * *

"Well, I'll say this. You're the healthiest looking specimen I've seen all day."

"I take my vitamins," the sheriff sneered.

Piper watched, her brow furrowed in concentration, from the other side of the mirror as Bobby interrogated the sheriff, who was bound to the chair he was in. She wasn't so sure that this wasn't a futile effort. The creature seemed no closer to telling them anything useful than he had been when they'd started.

"So, you wanna tell us what's going on here?" Bobby asked. "You boys are, uh, Eve's cleanin' crew, is that it? You, uh, you come around to clean up the bodies? Make sure the word doesn't get out, huh? Is that why you snatched up the doctor?"

The sheriff sighed. "You're so wasting your time, you stupid head of cattle."

The sound of something rustling behind them had her spinning. The Winchesters, who had been flanking her, turned with her.

"More Starships," Dean said grimly.

"Come on," Sam said, leading the way out and toward the sound.

There were smears of blood on the walls of the station, which easily led them to the cells. Inside one of those cells were two young boys, tied up and gagged. Piper recognized them immediately.

"Oh, God," she said softly as she crouched next to where the younger boy had wiggled himself closer to the bars. "You're Dr. Silver's boys, yeah?" The boy nodded. She reached through the bars to run her fingers soothingly through his hair. "Don't worry, okay, we're going to get you out of here." She looked up. "Will one of you go grab the keys?"

Sam nodded and left, and Dean knelt next to her. "Hey," he said, the timbre of his voice gentle, "My name is Dean. This is my wife, Piper, and that was my brother, Sam. Those cops, they're not coming back, not ever, okay?"

Sam came back with the keys, and Piper hurried to unlock the doors. As soon as she could, she hurried into the cell to untie both of the boys. "What are your names?" Her voice, too, was gentle.

"Joe," the older brother answered. He pointed to his younger brother. "This is Ryan."

Dean smiled at the boy, and Piper felt her heart constrict. _Oh, he would be such a good father._

"How you doin', Ryan?"

Ryan flushed and looked away, inching closer to his brother.

"He won't talk," Joe explained. "Not since they came for us."

Piper smiled at the younger boy. "That's okay, honey."

"Listen, Joe," Dean said seriously. "We're gonna get you out of this cell. But you, um, understand what's going on around here, don't you?" The boy nodded. "So first we gotta make sure you're you."

"How you gonna do that?"

* * *

Once they were done with the tests to prove that Joe and Ryan were human, andJoe had told them that the boys had an uncle in Merritt they could go to, Dean was ready to take the win and get the boys home.

He was watching Piper with them, a smile on his face. She was speaking with Joe in a low voice, her hand carding through Ryan's hair. The boy had warmed to her considerably, and was currently hiding his face by pressing it into her leg.

"Dean," Cass' voice brought him from his reverie. "Can I have a word?"

Dean turned to look at the angel, eyebrows raised.

"We need to find Eve. Now."

Confused, Dean nodded. "Yeah. Go. Me and Pipes just gotta make a milk run."

"We need your help here."

Dean outright frowned. "Hold your water. We'll be back in a few."

If Cass had been human, Dean was sure he would have groaned. " _Dean._ Millions of lives are at stake here, not just two. You have to stay focused."

"Are you _kidding me?"_ Dean hissed.

"There's a greater purpose here."

"You know what? I'm getting real goddamn sick of 'greater purposes,' okay? And I _know_ that Pipes is, too. We need a fucking win, Cass, especially her." It was a low blow, using Pipes against the angel like this, but Dean couldn't think of another way to get to him. "So you know what? We're gonna go save a couple of kids. We'll catch up."

Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked back toward where his wife was standing with the kids. She looked up at him, her hazel eyes darkening in concern, but he shook his head. This wasn't the time.

"Come on, everyone. Let's go."

* * *

Piper stared critically at the sheriff's very headless body. They had just gotten back from dropping Joe and Ryan off at their uncle's house.

"Rigorous interrogation?" she asked dryly.

Bobby shrugged. "Well, we got a location. Now we just gotta get close enough to take a shot."

She nodded. "All right, well. Let's go, then."

They walked back out to the main office, where Dean was handing out the shells containing the phoenix ash. There were enough to give each of them one. "Make 'em count," he said gravely.

* * *

Dean stared incredulously at the diner they'd been in earlier that day. "She's been in here the _whole time?"_

"Why'd she even let us in?" Sam asked. "Or out?"

"Well, there's one way to find out." Dean took a step forward, only to be stopped by Piper's small (but seemingly made of iron) hand.

"What, you're just going to stroll in?"

"We don't know who's human and who's her," Bobby said dryly.

"Well, there's only one way to draw her out." Dean took a deep breath, ready for a fight. "Me and Sam will go in."

"Absolutely not," Piper said immediately. "I'm coming with you."

"No," Dean protested. "Pipes, I don't want you in there, and it's us that she wants."

"What makes you think that?" she hissed. "no. This is a terrible plan. We're not doing it this way."

"Piper," Dean said softly, wrapping a hand around the back of her head and pulling her close to press a hard kiss to her forehead. "Kitten, we gotta get in there and take care of this. I don't know if we're gonna be able to make the shot from in there. I need as many of you out here as possible, so I know that you _can_ make it."

She was glaring up at him, her eyes burning with fury. "I _hate_ that plan."

"I know, baby, I'm sorry."

She kept eye contact for a few more minutes before growling deep in her throat. She yanked him forward and kissed him hard, all teeth and tongue and anger, before she pulled away. "Stay alive," she ordered firmly. She went to stand between Bobby and Cass, still fuming.

Sam handed his bag to Piper, who shifted her hefty glare to him. "You, too, Winchester," she snapped. "There had best be two of you walking out of that building, you got me?"

Sam smiled tightly. "Yes, ma'am."

"No sass from you!" She went up on tiptoe to wrap her arms around his neck. "Not until you get back."

"We'll be all right, Piper," he murmured, hugging her back.

"Well, don't _lie_ to me." She sighed and came back down. "Go be brave, you jackasses."

Dean shot her a wink and led the way into the diner.

No one seemed to take too terribly much notice of them as they slid into a booth. Dean scanned the people around them nervously. The little hairs on the back of his neck were standing up at attention. He watched Sam use his phone to see if anyone's eyes were glowing, and he knew his answer when Sam paled.

"Shit," his brother muttered. "Shit, _shit."_

"Starships?"

"Yeah."

"Anyone in here that's _not_ a flesh-eating monster?"

"Uh… Me and you."

"Okay, well, let's get the hell out of here."

Sam nodded. "Shall we?"

Before they could, a pretty brunette in an apron approached them with two giant plates of food. "Two specials, right?" She slid the plate onto the booth in front of them.

Sam eyed it carefully. "Uh, no. that's not for us. We were just headed out, actually."

"Now, that would be rude, Sam," she purred.

Dean started, but Sam looked up smoothly. "Let me guess. Eve?"

"Pleasure," she simpered.

"Why don't we step outside," Dean asked with a smile. "Chat?"

"Why? This is private."

A group of the Starships got up to close the blinds. One took Dean's bag and pulled it opened. Eve reached in to remove one of the guns and sniff it. "Phoenix ash. I'm impressed. I bet you had to go a long way for that."

"You have _no_ idea."

She looked over at one of the Starships. "Destroy these. Thank you." Once he'd taken the guns, she turned back to the brothers. She rolled her eyes. "Relax, I'm not here to fight."

Dean snorted. "No? Just to rally every freak on the planet, bring in Khan Worms and, and half-assed spider men, and dragons. Really, sister? _Dragons?"_

She just shrugged. "So I dusted off some of the old classics. I needed help."

"With what?" Sam asked harshly. "Tearing apart the planet?"

Eve leaned forward, earnest. "You misunderstand me. I never wanted that. Not at first. I liked our arrangement."

* * *

Piper was glaring at the building, now completely unable to see in since the blinds had been closed. " _Fuck,"_ she hissed, angry and scared.

"What do we wanna do?" Bobby asked. The only sign that he was upset, too, was the way the lines around his eyes deepened as he tensed.

"We should go in," Cass said solemnly.

Piper nodded. "I agree."

As she reached for her gun, she was grabbed from behind. Before she could make much noise, a hand was wrapped around her mouth, and her arms were twisted behind her. She kicked futilely, watching as Bobby and Cass were both restrained, as well.

"Mother wants to meet you," the Starship holding her crooned in her ear. She jerked away from it and struggled as the creatures led the three of them into the diner.

She met Dean's eyes when he swiveled to watch them be forced into the diner. She surveyed he room around the, her eyes finally landing on a blonde woman standing next to the brothers' table. She felt her own eyes widen in recognition.

 _Mary._

"Well, so much for your plan B," the thing wearing Mary Winchester purred. She looked over to Cass. "And you, wondering why so flaccid? I'm older than you are, Castiel. I know what makes angels tick. As long as I'm around, consider yourself unplugged." She turned back to Sam and Dean. "Work for me. It's a good deal. Bonus! I won't kill your friends."

Dean leaned forward. "Look. The last few months, we've been working for an evil dick. We're not about to sign up for an evil bitch. We don't work with demons. We don't work with monsters. And if that means you gotta kill us, then kill us!"

Eve smiled and tilted her head. "Or, I turn you. And you do what I want, anyway."

"Beat me with a wire hanger, answer's still no."

She was suddenly behind Dean, her hands clamped down onto his shoulders. Piper yelled behind the hand quieting her and began her struggles again. Sam was restrained, too, as he tried to help Dean.

"Don't test me," Eve purred into Dean's ear.

"Bite me," he snarled.

Piper's whole world came to a screeching halt as Eve, the Mother of All, reared back and sank her teeth into her husband's neck.

"No!" Sam roared.

"Dean!" Cass was struggling harder now.

Piper knew, vaguely, that she was screaming, but couldn't swear to the fact that she was holding her own self up.

Dean didn't _seem_ to be sick, though. Eve pulled her teeth out, he clapped a hand over the wound, and then grinned as he turned around to look her in the eye.

Eve was coughing, sputtering and bending over. Dean was still baring his teeth at her in what was kind of a snarl and kind of a grin. "Phoenix ash," he said triumphantly. "One shell, one ounce of whiskey. Down the hatch. Little musty on the afterburn. Call you later, Ma."

Eve morphed from Mary to a petite brunette as a bright white light started to shine from her chest. She was choking, dark liquid spilling from her mouth and nose. She collapsed to the ground, dead. The Starships moved to attack, and Piper gasped as the one holding her tightened his grip painfully.

She heard Cass' shout over the din. " _Shut your eyes!"_

She obeyed, and still saw the light through the red filter of her eyelids as it blasted from where the angel was standing, obliterating the Starships. Cool hands steadied her as the monster holding her up collapsed, and she opened her eyes to see that Cass had caught her.

"We gotta take you on more monster hunts," Bobby said gruffly.

"Hey, Cass?" They all looked to Sam. "Dean's bleeding pretty good."

Piper pulled away from Castiel to hurry over to Dean as he spoke. "Yeah, I think she turned me into a Jefferson Starship. Could you clear that up, too?"

Piper stood in front of him and smacked him on the arm. "What did you _think_ was going to happen?" she snarled. "What the _fuck_ kind of plan was that? What the _fuck,_ Dean?!"

As Cass was healing his neck, "Pipes, baby, it was just a backup plan. I just wanted to make a hundred percent sure we could get her."

"I am going to wring your goddamn neck," she snapped as she stepped forward and buried her face in his chest. "I hate you," she muttered.

She felt him smile against her temple as he kissed her there. "Love you, too, kitten." He looked up, slinging an arm around her waist. "We gotta go. Now."

Piper looked up at him. "Where?"

"The kid. The littlest kid. He's one of 'em."

Cass face, which had been relaxed in relief, hardened. " _Unbelievable,"_ he growled.

Dean scowled. "Yeah, yeah, I know, Cas, you told me, all right. Let's just go."

* * *

Piper had her arms wrapped around herself as they stood outside of Joe and Ryan's uncle's house. They'd gone inside and found both the uncle and the two boys dead on the ground. The stink of sulfur had been thick enough to choke on.

"So, what do you think" Sam asked.

"I think that demons don't give a shit about monsters unless they're told to."

"So do you think she was telling the truth?"

Piper frowned. "The truth about what?"

"She said that Crowley's still kickin'."

Cass' face hardened. "But I burned his bones? How… Was she certain?"

"Sounded pretty sure. According to her, Crowley's still waterboarding her kids somewhere."

"I don't understand," Cass confessed.

"Well, he is a crafty son of a bitch."

"I am an _angel."_ Cass straightened. "I'll look into it immediately." He disappeared.

Piper's spine was tingling with unease as she walked with the three men to the car. Bobby and Sam finally stopped to look back and Dean and Piper. She knew what they were going to say, and she wanted more than anything for them not to say it.

No such luck.

"What?" Dean snapped.

"How _did_ Crowley get away?" Bobby asked carefully. "I mean, it's not like Cass to make mistakes like that. Unless…"

"Unless _what?"_

"Unless he meant to," Piper whispered, her eyes falling closed and her heart breaking.

"Pipes, this is _Cass_ we're talking about."

"Look," Sam offered peacefully, "it's probably nothing. You're right! It's… Probably nothing."

Piper prayed to God for the first time in a long, long time that Dean was right.

* * *

 ****Feedback gives me the warm fuzzies and keeps me going.**  
 ****I just want to thank everyone who continues to read I'll Wait For You. I just think it's amazing that I started out this long-ass fic, just because I wanted to see Dean with someone long-term who would ground him and love him like we all do, and you're all still here. Now I've got eight published fics here, What the Actual Fuck? took the fuck off (who saw that coming?), and Dean and Piper are still going strong. So thank you, again. If you ever feel like this ridiculously long ride isn't for you, go ahed and jump off. I'll understand. But if you want to keep going because you love them like I love them, stay with me. There's some crazy times ahead. 3**


	92. Whatever I Must

****This chapter kind of jumps from flashbacks to present time without warning, so, my bad. It's also a little choppy, but I like it that way, lol.**

* * *

 _You know, I… I've been here for a very long time, and I remember many things._

 _I remember being at a shoreline, watching a little grey fish heave itself up on the beach, and an older brother saying, "Don't step on that fish, Castiel. Big plans for that fish."_

 _I remember the Tower of Babel… All thirty-seven feet of it, which I suppose was impressive at the time. And when it fell, they howled "divine wrath," but come on, dried dung can only be stacked so high._

 _I remember Cain and Abel… David and Goliath… Sodom and Gomorrah. And, of course, I remember the most remarkable event._

 _Remarkable because it never came to pass. It was averted by two boys, a girl, an old drunk, and a fallen angel. The grand story. And we ripped up the ending, and the rules, and destiny, leaving nothing but freedom and choice._

 _Which is all well and good, except… Well, what if I've made the wrong choice? How am I supposed to know?_

 _I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me tell you my story._

 _Let me tell you everything._

* * *

Castiel appeared in the backseat of the Impala, not always an easy feat when it was moving. Both Dean and Piper were in the front seat, strangely subdued.

"Hello, Dean, Piper. Are you all right?"

Piper turned in her seat to smile at Castiel. "Yes, we're… We're fine. How are you, Cass?"

"I just wanted to check in."

There was a beat of silence, and Castiel had just enough time to wonder if it was awkward before Dean spoke. "So, any word on, uh, Satan Junior being alive?"

Had he been human, Castiel thought he probably would have flushed guiltily. As it was, he was able to simply meet Piper's hazel eyes. "I'm looking, believe me. I just don't understand how Crowley could've tricked me."

"He's crafty," Piper comforted. "But it doesn't matter. If he _is_ up and kicking, what _does_ matter is finding him and dealing with him."

"What about you?" Castiel asked. "Have you found anything?"

Dean shook his head. "No, nothing yet."

"Where's Sam?"

"Keeping busy," Piper said smoothly. "He's tracking a djinn in Omaha as we speak. We're headed out there now to meet up with him."

A pang of something dark and lonely welled in Castiel's chest. He didn't like lying to the Winchesters, especially when he wished he could be hunting with them. He wanted to keep them safe, to always be at their sides.

That, however, wasn't an option.

"Well, I'd come if I could."

Piper's eyes widened, and Castiel could see her soul swirling and constricting with emotion. "No, we get it, Cass, no worries. But… You'll call, won't you? If you get into real trouble?"

Castiel didn't know what to say.

* * *

 _When Crowley accused me of having a conflict of interest, he had a point, of course. My interest_ was _conflicted. I still considered myself the Winchesters' guardian. After all, they taught me how to stand up, what to stand for, and what generally happens when you do._

 _When Lucifer smote me, I was… Done. Over. And then, the most extraordinary thing had happened. I was put back, and we had won. We stopped Armageddon. But at a terrible cost._

 _So I knew what to do next. Once again, I went to Harrow Hell to free Sam Winchester from Lucifer's cage. It was nearly impossible, but I was so full of confidence, of mission. I can see now that was arrogance, hubris… Because, of course, I hadn't truly raised Sam. Not all of him._

 _Sometimes, we are lucky enough to be given a warning._

 _When I watched Sam find Dean and Piper's new home, and watched him subsequently walk away. That should have been mine._

* * *

In Crowley's lab, Castiel stood strong against the demon's demands.

"I'm begging you, Castiel. Just _kill the Winchesters."_

"No."

"Fine," the demon spat. "Then I'll do it myself."

A chill shuddered through Castiel's grace. "If you kill them, I'll just bring them back again."

"No, you won't," Crowley sneered. "Not where I'll put them. Trust me."

"I said, 'no.' Don't worry about them."

Crowley's eyes bugged out. "Don't worry about… What, like _Lucifer_ didn't worry? Or _Michael?_ Or _Lilith_ or _Alastair_ or _Azazel_ didn't worry?! Am I the only game piece on the board who doesn't underestimate those _denim-wrapped nightmares?!"_

The way Crowley was speaking made Castiel even more nervous. "Just find Purgatory. If you don't, we both die, again and again, until the end of time. The Winchesters won't get to you."

" _Let_ them get to me! I'll tear their _fucking hearts out!"_

* * *

Castiel appeared in Bobby Singer's kitchen to see the humans he held so dear arguing.

"Nothing, all right?" Dean snarled. "Told him we were on some crap monster hunt. He doesn't know we're getting close to Crowley. You know, he's our _friend,_ and we're lying to him through our teeth!"

Cass felt his eyebrows raise. They were arguing about _him._

"Dean-" Sam began.

"So he burned the wrong bones!" Dean snapped. "So Crowley tricked him!"

"He's an angel," Bobby said softly.

"He's the Balki Bartokomous of heaven! He can make a mistake!"

"Nobody's sayin' anything yet."

Dean jabbed a finger at the older hunter. "You think that Cass is in with Crowley. _Crowley?"_

"Look," Bobby insisted. "I'm just saying I don't know. Now, look, I hate myself for even _thinking_ it. But I don't know."

"Dean," Sam said placatingly, "he's our friend, too, okay? And I'd die for him, I would, but… Look, I'm praying we're wrong here."

"But if we ain't," Bobby said darkly, "If there's a snowball of a snowball's chance here… That means we're dealing with Superman who's gone darkside. Which means we've got to be cautious, we've got to be smart, and maybe stock up on some Kryptonite."

Dean looked at Piper. "That makes you Lois Lane, kitten," he said weakly, an attempt at levity. She smiled wanly.

Bobby sighed. "Look, one problem at a time here. We gotta find Crowley now, before the damn fool cracks open Purgatory."

* * *

 _So, they already suspected. They were searching for Crowley._

 _And… Dean, trying so hard to be loyal, with every instinct telling him otherwise. Sam and Bobby, doing their utmost to protect their loved ones._

 _The worst was Piper. Piper, who had always been so wonderfully, divinely opinionated. Her silence was what hurt the most, the way she quietly sat in the background and watched them argue._

* * *

 _When the Winchesters found their way to Ellsworth, I had to intervene._

 _If there was a demon counterpart to Bobby Singer, Ellsworth would be it. These demons that the Winchesters had taken captive, they would lead them to Crowley, and Crowley would tear their hearts out._

 _I_ had _to intervene. I had no choice. I did it to protect them._

 _Or to protect myself._

 _I… I don't know, anymore._

 _Hiding. Lying. Sweeping away evidence. And my motives used to be so pure._

* * *

 _After supposedly saving Sam, I finally returned to heaven. Of course, there isn't one heaven. Each soul generates its own paradise. I favored the eternal Tuesday afternoon of an autistic man who drowned in a bathtub in nineteen-fifty-three._

 _I thought it was so simple. So easy._

* * *

Rachel frowned at him. "God brought you back, Castiel. He _chose_ you to lead us."

Frustrated, Castiel shook his head. "No, no one leads us anymore. We're all free to make our own choices, to choose our own fates."

"What does God want?"

"God wants you to have freedom."

Rachel tilted her head. "But what does He want us to do with it?"

* * *

 _If I knew then what I know now, I might have said, "It's simple. Freedom is a length of rope. God wants you to hang yourself with it."_

* * *

 _Those first weeks back in heaven were surprisingly difficult. Explaining freedom to angels is a bit like teaching poetry to fish._

 _And then there was Raphael._

 _He demanded I submit to him, that I swear my allegiance. Even now, I am convinced that it was more to soothe his pride than because I represented a real threat._

 _But how could I? He wanted to let Lucifer and Michael free again, he wanted to restart the apocalypse. Dean and Piper Winchester had given up so much to keep the world safe, I couldn't discount their sacrifice that way._

 _I said no._

 _And I'm not ashamed to say that my big brother knocked me into next week._

* * *

Castiel watched anxiously as the Winchesters and Bobby surveyed Ellsworth's house.

"The place is clean," Sam said slowly, suspiciously.

"Yeah, but it's… It's like, 'Mr. Clean' clean, you know? It's kind of OCD for your average demon."

Piper joined them silently in the living room while Sam sighed. "So what now?"

Dean frowned. "We'd call Cass."

"What?"

"This is usually the point where we would call Cass for help."

Bobby sighed. "We talked about this."

"No," Dean snarled, " _You_ talked, _I_ listened. This is _Cass,_ guys. I mean, when there was no one, and we were stuck, and I mean _really_ stuck, he broke ranks. He has gone to the mat, cut and bleeding, for us so many fucking times. This is _Cass!_ Don't we owe him the benefit of the doubt? At _least?"_

Sam glared. "You know, I don't see you getting up Piper's ass about this, and she hasn't said a damn word."

Dean pointed at Sam. "Keep your fucking mouth off of Piper, Sam."

Piper had already closed her eyes. "Cass, this is really important, okay? We… _I_ really need to talk to you."

* * *

 _But I didn't go to them, to her. Because I knew they would have questions I couldn't answer. Because I was afraid._

* * *

Castiel watched as Piper's face gradually hardened into impassivity the longer he didn't reply to her summons. It was surprisingly painful to watch.

"Cass is busy," she said firmly.

Sam scowled. "That's all right. We are, too. Come on."

"Back to square one," Bobby lamented.

"What do we even do now?"

"Well, we caught one hunter demon before. We can do it again."

Before anyone got much further, demons poured into the house, easily and quickly subduing each hunter. The one who had a hand around Piper's throat smiled as his eyes flicked to black.

"Crowley says, 'hi.'"

* * *

 _Crowley sent his very best. I was caught as much by surprise as the rest of them. And it left me with yet another choice. I_ could _reveal myself and smite the demons. Of course, Crowley wouldn't like it. But, on the other hand, they were my friends._

* * *

Castiel appeared in the living room and easily took care of the demons.

* * *

 _For a brief moment… I was me again. I was 'Cass,' not 'Castiel.'_

* * *

Piper, radiating relief, threw herself into Cass' arms. "It is so good to see you." Her voice was muffled by his chest.

He held her close, savoring the familiar contact. "Are you all all right?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah. Perfect timing, Cass."

"I'm glad I found you. I come with news."

Whereas Piper was exuding relief, Dean was exuding smugness. "Yeah? What?"

"I firmly believe Crowley is alive."

Dean snorted. "Yeah. You think, Kojak?" Before Castiel could answer, the eldest Winchester turned to Sam and Bobby. "Well? What do we think about Cass saving our asses? _Again?"_

Bobby sighed. "I think we owe you an apology."

Castiel frowned, and hoped his feigned confusion was convincing. "Why?"

"We've been hunting Crowley this whole time, and keeping it from you." Sam rubbed the back of his neck.

"We thought you were working with him," Bobby explained.

"You thought _what?"_

Dean laughed. "It's crazy, right?"

"It's just that you torched the wrong bones," Bobby said, a bit sheepishly. "We… We were wrong."

Piper, who'd stepped out of Castiel's arms, beamed up at him. "You could have just asked me," he said to her.

Dean came to stand behind her and nodded. "And we should have. We never should have doubted you."

"Can you forgive us?" Piper asked softly, hope shining in her eyes.

* * *

 _Wonders would never cease. They trusted me again. But it was just another lie._

* * *

"It's forgotten."

Piper's smile was blinding. "Thanks, wings," she said happily.

"Yeah, thanks, Cass."

"It's a little absurd, though."

Bobby waved his hand. "I know, I know."

"Superman going darkside." Castiel hoped he had the right amount of derision in his voice. "I'm still just Castiel."

Dean smiled. "I guess we can put away the Kryptonite, huh?"

* * *

 _Of course, I didn't realize it at the time, but it was all over. Right then, just like that._

 _How did I not see the shadows in their eyes, the shifting of their feet? Was I so full of myself, so convinced I could not lose, that I thought that I could deceive the ones who knew me best?_

* * *

 _When Raphael banished me, I went to the only people I knew could help, I knew would be there for me._

 _But standing there, watching Dean rake leaves, watching Piper's soul hum contentedly as she readied her home for some arbitrary human holiday, I stopped. Everything they had sacrificed, and I was about to ask them for more._

 _Could I really do that?_

 _When Crowley approached, maybe I shouldn't have listened. He just made it seem so… Easy. Simple. I was no fool, I knew who Crowley was, what he did. But I was smarter than him, stronger._

 _I see now that I was prideful. And in all likelihood, I_ was _a fool._

* * *

"How about I float you a little loan? Say, fifty large? Fifty _thousand_ souls from the pit. You can take them up to heaven. Make quite a showing. It's either this, or the apocalypse all over again. Everything you've worked for – everything that Sam and Dean and Piper have worked for – gone. You can save us, Castiel. God chose you to save us. And I think, deep down, you know that."

* * *

 _I wish I could say I was clean of pride in that moment… Or the next._

* * *

Castiel burst into Ken Lay's heaven, where Raphael had holed up. Without preamble, and before his brother's guards could stop him, he brutally banished the archangel. When the light faded, he turned to look into the faces of the rest of his shocked brothers and sisters.

"There will be no apocalypse. And let it be known. You're either with Raphael, or you're with me."

* * *

 _And so went the long road of good intentions._

 _The road that brought me here._

* * *

"Castiel, uh… We need you for a little powwow down here, so come on down."

Castiel appeared in Ellsworth's kitchen again. "Hello."

Bobby snorted. "Oh, Johnny on the spot."

Castiel tilted his head. "You're still here."

"Yeah, we had to bury the bodies."

"And we found a little whiskey." Dean took a swig of said liquor. "Thanks for comin'."

"How can I help?"

"Look," Sam answered. "We, um. We have a new plan. We think we've finally figured out a way to track down Crowley."

Piper was just staring at Castiel from the corner of the room, her arms crossed across her chest, leaning back against the wall.

"What is it?" he asked.

Bobby lit a match and dropped it on the floor, igniting the ring of holy oil that encircled Castiel.

"It's you."

* * *

 _So they knew._

 _Dean raged at me for at least half an hour. He shouted about choices, about stupidity, about bedfellows, about deals with the devil. He told me that I could still turn back, that I could still ask them for help and receive it._

 _Sam accused me of leaving his soul in hell on purpose._

 _Bobby asked how I had been "tricked" with the wrong bones._

 _The worst, again, was Piper, who was silent, accusatory, heartbroken._

 _I had never been so grateful for demons appearing than I was just then. I helped to dispatch them, unwilling to leave the Winchesters and Bobby unprotected, then vanished._

* * *

 _I had to make them understand._

* * *

Castiel appeared in the living room of Bobby Singer's home. It was late, the middle of the night.

Piper was standing in front of the window, cradling a steaming cup of coffee close to her chest. Castiel knew that sometimes great emotional turmoil gave her insomnia.

"Hello, Piper."

"How did you get in?" She was whispering.

"The angel-proofing Bobby put up on the house… He got a few things wrong." His voice was apologetic. He _felt_ apologetic.

She hummed and took a sip of coffee. "We'll have to work on that." She didn't turn to look at him. "What do you want, Castiel?"

"I want you to understand."

She just hummed.

"I'm doing this for you," he insisted. "I'm doing this _because_ of you. And Sam, and Dean. You're the ones who taught me that freedom, and free will, that-"

"Why are you working with Crowley if you're doing this for us?" She finally turned to him, and though her eyes were tired and sad, they also to blazed and burned. She was devastated, yes, but she was also betrayed.

"Why didn't you just _ask us for help?"_ she insisted. "We would have dropped _everything_ for you, Cass. You knew that. Why didn't you just come to us?"

"Piper, I… I didn't want to ask you for more. I didn't want to ask you to give up even more."

"That wasn't your call to make," she said coldly.

Castiel didn't know what else to say. The call had already been made, the die cast. "I'm sorry, Piper."

She flinched, and he knew then that he'd said the wrong thing as he watched her face harden up again.

"Then I'm sorry, too."

* * *

 _So, that's everything._

 _I believe it's what you would call a… Tragedy, from the human perspective. But maybe the human perspective is… Limited._

 _I don't know._

 _That's why I'm asking you, Father. One last time. Am I doing the right thing? Am I on the right path? You have to tell me. You have to give me… A sign. Give me a sign. Because if you don't, I'm gonna… I'm gonna do whatever I…_

 _Whatever I must._

* * *

 ****Feedback gives me the warm fuzzies and keeps me going.**  
 ****I don't know why I'm just, like, super fucking proud of this chapter, but I am.**


	93. Don't You Put That on Me

Piper knew she should be reading. She knew that keeping Cass from opening the gate to Purgatory was paramount. It was incredibly important.

She just… Couldn't.

Figuring out how to function around the heavy weight of betrayal in her chest was impossible. How was she supposed to stop thinking about how he'd gone behind their backs? Or how, even when they'd confronted him with the truth, he'd insisted that it was the right thing to do, his only course of action? How could she focus when their best friend had betrayed them?

Dean slammed the book he was attempting to read shut, startling Piper out of her thoughts and making Monster jump a little and hiss from his place in her lap. "Well, Samuel's journals are pointless," he snapped. "I mean, I'm sorry, but, uh, Jebediah Campbell has squat to tell me about how to stop Cass from cracking purgatory."

Bobby was coming into the study just then. The scowl on his face matched the one on Dean's. "Actually, it's not about the journals we _have,_ it's about the one we don't."

Sam looked up from his own research. "Meaning what?"

"That's the bad news. Our _pal_ Cass didn't stop in last night just to mend fences."

Dean's face darkened further. "What did he do?"

"Stole something."

Piper closed her eyes, shock and dismay making her chest ache. "What did he take?"

"The journal of one Moishe Campbell."

Sam cocked an eyebrow. " _Moise?"_

"Of the New York Campbells."

Piper pressed a hand to her forehead, hoping to forestall a stress headache starting to form there. "Okay. We have to get it back."

Bobby handed her the envelope he'd brought in with him. "Or just read the copy I'd already made."

Piper's smile felt almost genuine. "Paranoid bastard," she said fondly.

* * *

Dean braced his hands against the kitchen counter, watching the coffee spin around in the microwave, trying to wrap his head around the last two days.

He was _livid_ about Castiel's blatant betrayal. He knew that they were just humans, and that the war that Cass was fighting was on a scale that they probably couldn't comprehend. He got it, he did, but _what the fuck?_ After everything they'd been through, did Cass not think he could come to them?

On the other hand, he _ached_ for the life he and Piper had created together. The normal, suburban life they'd thrived in. He wanted her to wait tables and him to be covered in grease and for them to come home at the end of each night and just be together, curled on the couch with their cat. After what Cass had done, it was, once again, almost too tempting to go back and just give the hunting life up.

And if they wouldn't be screwing over Bobby, Sam, and maybe the world, he'd do it in a heartbeat.

"Dammit, Cass," he growled as the microwave _dinged._ He pulled the three mugs out, mixed Piper's the way she liked it, took a sip to check, and carried them back into the study.

As he did, Bobby was sitting up. "I think I zeroed in on something."

"Whaddaya got?" Dean asked as he handed one of the cups to Sam. He walked over and gave Piper hers before settling a hand on the back of her neck. She hummed appreciatively and leaned back into the touch.

Bobby handed the page he'd been reading from to Sam, who read aloud. "'Went to Howard Phillips about the events of March tenth.'"

"That's March tenth, nineteen-thirty-seven," the older hunter clarified.

"All right, so who's this Phillips guy?" Dean asked.

"Phillips ain't his last name. It's Lovecraft."

Piper stiffened beneath his hand. "As in, H.P. Lovecraft?"

Bobby nodded, and Sam snatched the paper from his hands.

Dean was lost. "Am I supposed to know who that is?"

Piper leaned back and smiled up at him. "A horror writer, babe."

Bobby cocked an eyebrow. " _At the Mountains of Madness? The Call of Cthulu?"_

Deans hook his head. "Yeah, no, I'm… I was too busy having sex with women."

Piper twisted her arm back and smacked him on the leg. "Hush, you." He grinned down at her.

Bobby rolled his eyes. "Well, anyhow. There's one notion that comes up over and over in his stories. Namely, opening doors to other dimensions and letting scary shit through."

Dean's eyebrows rose. "You don't say."

"Wait," Sam interjected, "so you're saying you think Lovecraft knew something about purgatory?"

Bobby shrugged. "All I know is Moishe paid him a visit."

Dean opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by the shrill sound of Piper's cell phone. She had been easing back into the role she'd held before the averted apocalypse, when hunters called several times a day to get advice or assistance. It wasn't unusual for it to be ringing.

Piper looked up and shot each of them an apologetic look before pulling the phone out of her pocket and answering, "Go for Piper."

Dean couldn't place the voice on the phone, but the distress coming through the line was clear enough. He sat his mug of coffee down and came around to crouch next to Piper. She'd tensed immediately upon answering. He could only hear her side of the conversation, but it was clear enough.

"Brandy?

"What?"

"What are they?"

"Did you see their eyes?"

"Teeth?"

"Brands, this is important, I need to know."

"Okay, where are you now?"

"Brandy, listen to me, go to your window and jump. Any bones you break won't compare to what they're going to do to you. You have to jump." Piper stood, knocking Monster off of her lap, who complained with a loud _mrowl._ Everyone ignored him.

"Brandy, I'm coming, we're coming, just run, just… Brandy? Brandy? _Brandy?!"_ She pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it in horror.

From the speaker, Crowley's voice made Dean's skin crawl. "Piper. Fancy a chat?"

* * *

Piper felt her face harden. " _Crowley,"_ she snarled.

"How long's it been, peach? Since my so-called demise, yes?"

"Oh, fuck you. Let them go, this isn't about them, it's about _us._ I swear to Christ, if you hurt them _at all-"_

"Yes, yes, you'll rip me a cornucopia of orifices. Let's get to the bit where I tell you how this goes. Your chocolate's been in my peanut butter for far too long."

"I'm going to kill you," she growled.

"Oh, dear, no. I've got your 'friends,' Piper, and I'm keeping them until I'm satisfied that you've backed the _fuck off!"_

Piper took a deep breath and let her eyes fall shut, trying to keep her voice patient and even. "This is your last chance, Crowley."

"You're adorable when you get all threatening," he simpered. "Don't worry, I won't hurt them. Provided that you, Tweedle Dum, and Tweedle Dumber stand down. Got it? Splendid. Kisses." The phone went dead.

"What's the story?"

Piper looked up from the phone going dark in her hand to realize that all three of them, Bobby, Sam, and Dean, were standing around her, concerned and angry. "They… Um, he has Brandy and Steve. They were our neighbors, and…"

"Our friends," Dean finished grimly.

Sam heaved a heavy sigh. "You think Cass knows about this?"

Piper started to protest, but was interrupted by her husband. "We gotta assume that he does."

"So what are we going to do?"

"We're going after them," Piper said firmly. Dean nodded and stepped away so they could start getting ready.

"I'm coming with," Sam said.

"No, you're staying here with Bobby to finish the Lovecraft lead. This is too important, we can't afford to drop the ball on this. Cass is already way too far ahead of us."

She stared the younger Winchester down until he sighed and looked away. "All right, well how do you intend to find them?"

* * *

"I was drinking a seventy-five Dom out of a soprano's navel when you called," Balthazar snapped. " _That_ was important."

"Crowley's alive," Piper said, ignoring the angel's dramatics. She didn't have time to soothe riled egos. "And he's working with Castiel."

"Excuse me?"

Dean nodded next to her. "Handshake deal. Goin' halfsies on all the souls of purgatory. He fill you in on that?"

"Well, yes, yes," the angel spluttered. "Yes, of course he did."

Piper rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I know you're lying. Look, Crowley and Cass took two people who are important to us."

The angel scoffed. "And I care why?"

"Because," Dean snarled, "maybe there's a shred of decency under all this… Snarky _shit._ They're innocent people, and we're asking for your help."

The angel hummed. "Fair enough." He vanished.

"Son of a bitch!"

Piper chewed on her lip indecisively. "Maybe we should just call Cass. Maybe he doesn't know anything about this?"

Dean gave her a flat look. "We're not calling Cass, kitten. You know he… You know…"

She stepped toward him and reached to twine her fingers in his. "Yeah, I know," she said softly. "So what now?"

* * *

An hour later, Dean was on the phone with Bobby.

"Lovecraft tried to jimmy open a damn dimension door. Idjit."

Dean smiled at hearing the insult directed at someone else for once. "So what happened?"

"Well, nothing much. Except, I dug, and every guest invited to the hoedown? Dead or disappeared inside a year."

He whistled. "Damn. Where are you off to now?"

"Have a chat with one of the guests."

"Didn't you _just_ say that everyone there died?"

"Yeah, everyone Lovecraft _invited_ died. Seems the maid had a nine-year-old boy. He was there."

Dean frowned. "So he's, what, old as shit now? Where is he?"

"Same place he's been since the big night. Locked in a mental ward."

"Huh. Well, good luck."

"Yeah, yeah. How's things on your end?"

Dean leaned back against the side of the building that Piper was in. "Slow. Pipes has got that psychic friend in New Orleans, she thinks she has a location spell that can find Crowley."

"You don't think he's cloaked himself against stuff like that?"

Dean shrugged. "Pipes has faith in Mara, and between you and me, I wouldn't put very much past her, either."

"You kids got a backup plan?"

"Ah… Not one that Pipes is cool with."

They had argued fiercely about how to get the information they needed. Piper wanted to give Mara a chance. Dean thought that there were more… Direct ways to get Crowley's location. Faster ways.

He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Piper quite as furious as she had been when he'd brought up that he could torture the information out of a demon. She had flown off the handle, her hazel eyes snapping fire at him before storming out. She'd told in no uncertain terms him that if he did, in fact, capture a demon, that he'd have to answer to her.

Dean had very little doubt that Piper would find out, so he didn't. He'd just followed her to the motel room she booked to work the spell that Mara sent over. He'd silently helped set up the ingredients, making sure to keep silent and give her the space she needed. When Bobby had called, she'd been about to start the spell. She had pressed a gentle kiss to Dean's cheek as he'd answered the phone, and he knew he'd been forgiven.

"Well," Bobby said gruffly, "She _has_ always been smarter than us."

Dean grinned. "You're telling me."

* * *

Piper was putting the final pieces of the spell together when she heard the _whoosh_ of feathers behind her. She tensed, but didn't turn around. The urge to call for Dean was almost overwhelming, but she still didn't think Cass would hurt her.

Well. Cass wouldn't hurt her _physically,_ anyway.

"What do you want?" She asked sharply without turning around.

"Piper, you… I didn't know Crowley would take your friends." His gravelly voice was desperate, strained.

Piper didn't particularly care. She kept quiet as she sprinkled the herbs into a circle in the middle of the room.

"You don't believe me."

"I'm having a hard time believing anything that comes out of your mouth, Cass," she said honestly.

"I thought… I thought you said we were like family. Shouldn't that run both ways?"

Piper put her bowl down and twirled on Cass. "Don't you put that on me," she hissed. "I would trust you _just fine_ if you had _been honest with me._ But you _went behind my back_ with the _king of hell!"_

"You would have tried to stop me!"

" _Because it's a stupid plan!"_

Castiel shook his head. "I came to tell you that I will find your friends, Brandy and Steve, and I will bring them back. The only thing I ask is that you stand with me."

Dean was walking back in, and his face darkened when he saw Cass. Piper wanted to stop, to go to her husband and tell him what was going on, but she wasn't willing to break her staring contest with the angel.

"You're asking me to stand down. Asking _us_ to stand down?"

"Piper," he pleaded.

"You know," Dean snapped, coming around to stand next to Piper, "That's the same _fucking_ ransom note that Crowley handed us You know that, right?"

"Dean-"

"We'll find them ourselves," Piper said firmly. "You go back and tell Crowley that I _will_ find him, and he _is_ going to suffer for bringing innocents into the line of fire."

She turned away so she didn't have to see the angel disappear again. She managed to keep her tears under control until Dean wrapped her up in his arms.

* * *

 ****Feedback gives me the warm fuzzies and keeps me going.**  
 ****Kind of a short and sweet chapter, sorry. It was going to be ridiculously long, so I cut it in half. I also wanted to get something up for you guys since my birthday was this week, so I've been slacking. ^^'**


	94. Get the Hell Out of my Sight

Piper felt like her heart had gone through ten rounds in a boxing ring. The sharp, steady ache deep in her chest was almost unbearable. When had Castiel become so important to her? She knew she'd always been friends with the angel, but to have his betrayal cut so deep told her she held him in much higher regard than she'd originally thought.

Was it maybe when he had been human those few short days before the showdown with Lucifer and Michael? When he hadn't known how to take care of himself, and he'd asked her to teach him with those big, earnest eyes that were now his? Or when he'd come to them after they'd gotten back into hunting, purely because she'd asked to make sure he was all right? The first time she'd called him "wings?"

Maybe it was when he pulled her husband from hell that did it.

Regardless of when it had happened, Castiel had become one of their circle, their family, _Team Free Will._ And now she was desperately trying to cope with the betrayal, the lies.

None of her normal coping mechanisms (of which, admittedly, she didn't have many) were working, so when Sam suggested they pour themselves a drink or two, she'd nodded and followed him into Bobby's kitchen silently. _Maybe Dean's way will work better than mine._

She was just accepting her whiskey when Balthazar appeared at the table.

He cocked a blonde eyebrow. "Drinking your feelings? I thought that was Dean's bag."

Piper shrugged. "Stressful times."

Balthazar hummed. "Indeed. Well, we need to talk."

Sam frowned. "Why?"

"Because, I know I'm going to live to regret this, but I'm officially on your team. You bastards."

Dean had entered the room behind her at some point, apparently, and he pressed his firm chest to her back. Piper found herself leaning against him even as he spoke. "And we should believe you _why?"_

"Would you believe that I _do_ have a shred of decency?"

"No," Sam deadpanned.

The angel clasped a hand to his chest dramatically. "Oh, that hurts." Piper rolled her eyes. "Oh, okay, you're right. It's survival. See, I asked Cass some questions, and I disliked his answers. He seems _awfully_ sure of himself for a man who wants to swallow a million nuclear reactors."

Piper's blood ran cold. She knew that Castiel's plan was a bad idea, but she hadn't known it would be _dangerous._

"I mean," Balthazar continued, "these things can get a bit Chernobyl, you know? So, voilà. Consider me your double agent. _And_ I took the liberty of searching for your friends. It took a while, Crowley's a clever one."

Piper straightened. "You found them?"

"Well, the upside is yes, the downside is no, I can't get them for you."

Sam was frowning. "Why not?"

"Because Crowley's angel-proofed the whole bloody building. I guess he doesn't trust Cas. Seems that marriage is going swimmingly."

Piper sighed. "Can you get us close?"

"Sure. But then you're on your own."

* * *

They appeared outside of a huge, dark building, and Dean frowned. _Why is it always a warehouse? Why does shit like this always happen in a warehouse?_

"All right, boys," Balthazar said, "and Piper, dear. This is where I get off." He waved his hand in the air. "God be with you and… What have you." He disappeared.

Piper rolled her eyes and led them toward the warehouse. The temptation to check her out was there (his wife was just as hot as the day he'd met her), but Dean steadfastly ignored it to keep focus. He hadn't bonded with Brandy and Steve like Piper had, but they were civilians, and Steve had had an appropriate level of appreciation for Baby. They needed to be saved.

He was wrestling with the heavy feeling in his chest as they dispatched the demon who was obviously meant to keep watch. He wanted to believe in Castiel, and he wanted to back his friend's play, but Dean wasn't _stupid,_ contrary to popular belief. He could see a bad plan a mile away, and Cass' plan just _reeked_ of bad.

Knowing that the souls Cass wanted to consume were dangerous? Yeah, not only did that not surprise Dean in the least, it just strengthened his belief that Cass had to be stopped before he hurt himself and everyone else.

Just then, however, he pushed all of that aside so they could save Brandy and Steve. Once they were safe somewhere, _then_ he could take some time to be really, royally pissed off at Castiel.

As they crept through the halls, Sam signalled that he was going to go down a separate hallway by himself. Piper shook her head, motioning that they should stick together. Dean looked at Sam, they both nodded, and Dean made sure to take point as the three of them went down the main hall. He was sure that Piper was rolling her eyes behind him, but he wasn't okay with her walking into what they _knew_ was a demon trap in front him.

When they got into what looked to be the biggest room, Brandy and Steve were tied to a post in the middle, being watched over by three what Dean could only assume were demons. He moved quickly to disarm the closest one, trying to do it as quietly as possible. It didn't work, because of _course_ it didn't, and soon all three of them were fighting fiercely.

Sam was able to take his down first, and made his way to the people tied to the poles. Dean tried to watch, to make sure that they were okay, but the demon he was fighting was fast, and worst, it was _smirking,_ like it knew something that Dean didn't. Which pissed him right the hell off.

"Dean!" He turned toward Piper's hiss and caught Ruby's knife when she tossed it to him. Seeing that her demon was smoking on the ground, he turned and quickly slammed the knife into his demon's chest. It flashed and jerked, but he was already yanking the knife back and following Piper down the stairs to where Sam was untying Brandy and Steve.

Brandy woke up first, and by some luck, her bewildered gaze landed on Piper. " _Piper,"_ she gasped. "Thank _God."_

"We're not out of the woods yet," his wife said grimly. "We've still gotta get you guys out of here." She knelt to help untie them. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

Brandy shook her head. "No, no, we're fine. I think they just… Knocked us out?" She wrinkled her nose. "My head is definitely pounding."

Piper's hazel eyes were sorrowful. "Oh, Brandy, I'm so incredibly sorry."

Brandy and Steve were both free, and Dean watched as the other woman reached for Piper. "Oh, honey, no, I know it's not your fault. I mean, I have no idea what's going on, but I know it's-"

Before she could finish, Steve lunged forward, snatched Ruby's knife from Dean's lax hand, and grabbed Brandy around the throat. She squeaked, and Steve held the knife to her neck. Dean's heart plummeted when Steve's eyes flashed black.

"I'm not so sure about who's fault it is," he snarled.

* * *

Piper's blood ran cold as the demon possessing Steve spoke. "Crowley thought you might come, so he had me jump into the desperate househusband for insurance. Can't go losing our leverage now, can we?" When Dean took a threatening step forward, the demon tsked. "Ah, another step, she gets a free vocal cord removal, eh?" He tucked his mouth close to Brandy's ear, and the way her friend's eyes filled with tears made Piper's heart thump painfully. "He's in here, you know, your husband. I can hear him thinking."

"Don't listen to him, Brandy," Piper said, a bit desperately. "That's not Steve."

"Oh, what?" the demon sneered. "Sure it is, all up in my head. He's thinking about how if you weren't such a needy _bitch,_ you wouldn't have needed to make friends with the new neighbors so badly." Brandy was crying softly. "You wouldn't be in this goddamn mess. Wouldn't even be on the king of hell's radar, to be honest."

"Brandy, I'm going to get you out of this," Piper vowed. "I'm going to make sure you're all right."

As she spoke, Sam, who had crept up behind Steve, stepped forward and wrapped his arm around the demon. There was a struggle that Piper couldn't make out the logistics of, but she knew that Brandy was choking and gagging, and that the demon was writhing and snarling. Sam grunted in effort, managed to get the knife in his own hand, and jammed it into Steve's side.

The demon flashed and died quickly, leaving Steve slumping into Sam's arms, bleeding sluggishly from the new wound in his side.

Piper stepped forward to wrap Brandy in her arms. The petite woman was sobbing, curling into Piper. "Is-is-is he gonna be oh-okay?" she hiccuped.

"Yeah, we're gonna get him to a hospital right now," Piper promised. Dean and Sam leaped into action at her words, both taking one of Steve's arms and putting it over their own shoulders. "See? The boys are gonna help us get him out of here, okay?"

Brandy was clearly dazed, but nodded along. "Yeah, yeah, okay."

Piper wrapped an arm around her waist and led her up the stairs, praying she wasn't lying to her friend.

* * *

Piper was standing at the foot of Steve's hospital bed. Brandy had fallen asleep at his side, his big hand clasped in her small one. Dean and Sam had gone down to the cafeteria to get coffee, so Piper wasn't surprised that _that_ was the moment that Castiel decided to show up.

She didn't let him speak at all before she was demanding, "Heal him."

There was a beat of silence, then the angel murmured, "Of course, Piper." He stepped forward to place a hand on Steve's forehead. "He will waken soon, and he will be fine."

"Good. You can go now."

Castiel looked pained. "Piper-"

"No," she hissed, trying not to wake Brandy or Steve. "You fucked this up, Cass. I tried to work with you, to talk to you, to _convince_ you to just _trust us,_ instead of work with Crowley." She pointed to her friends. "Even if they didn't know Dean and I, they were _innocents!_ And that _goddamn demon_ of yours _kidnapped them_ to _keep us in line!"_ She crossed her arms, staring him down. "I am trying, wings, I really am," she said softly, "but I can't do this if you're in league with him. Dean and Sam won't, either. Please, _please_ tell me you'll get out of bed with him, that you won't go through with this deal, that you'll _let me help you."_

She was pleading, she was actually begging him, and she knew it. She wasn't ashamed at all, she just wanted her friend back, she just wanted this to be over.

The sorrow in his eyes, however, told her it wouldn't be. His silence was as telling as if he'd said the words out loud.

"Fine," she said softly. "Then get the hell out of my sight."

"I _am_ sorry," he said softly.

"I don't care."

He vanished, and she left the hospital room so she could start to cry without waking Brandy or Steve.

* * *

 _\- All feedback is appreciated. The good, the bad, and the ugly, I welcome it all._  
 _\- Sorry for the short chapter. I tried to make it longer, I really did, but it just wasn't happening._


	95. Totally Off the Rails

Dean kept a worried eye on Piper as they followed Bobby and Sam down the alley. She'd subdued, withdrawn since the hospital with Brandy and Steve. She'd softly told him what Castiel had said, then had fallen into him, crying into his chest for a long time.

Dean Winchester could handle a lot of things, but his wife's broken heart wasn't one of them.

Now he had her hand clasped in his, hoping to convey some comfort through the physical contact. He wasn't sure he hit the mark, but the way she squeezed back gratefully told him that _something_ was getting through.

"Where is she?" Sam asked as they made their way to the end of the alley.

They were meeting one of Bobby's friends, Eleanor. She'd helped them out a while back, and now she said she'd be able to help them keep the gate to purgatory from opening. Dean was still fuzzy on the details. He'd been focused on other things.

Bobby shrugged and pulled his cell phone out. "She said to meet her here. I'll try her again." After a moment, they all heard a ringing. Piper finally perked up enough too look around with them, and she led Dean by the hand over to the dumpster that sat along one of the dingy walls that made up the alley. There, leaning up against the dumpster, was Eleanor. She was covered in blood, and seemed woozy when she looked up at them.

Bobby shoved his way through them and came to kneel next to her. "El?"

She smiled a little. There was blood in her teeth. "Hey. I guess I could've used your help after all."

Her words seemed to startle Bobby into action. He pulled her hands away from her middle, wincing at the blood pooled on her stomach, staining her shirt. "Just be still. What the hell happened?"

"They took me. I got away."

"Oh, Ellie," Bobby said mournfully. "What did they do to you?"

She chuckled, and blood dripped down one side of her mouth. "Everything. The demon I could have handled, but when the angel stepped in, I…" Dean felt Piper stiffen next to him at the word "angel" at the same time Eleanor coughed weakly. "I told him, Bobby," she continued. "They have enough to crack purgatory wide open."

"Tell me," the older hunter said gruffly, "I need to know."

"They need virgin blood, that's a milk run for them. And they need the blood of a purgatory native, and well…" She gestured to herself. "They've got plenty of that."

Dean felt his eyebrows raise in shock. _Purgatory native?_ Jesus, he needed to start paying more attention. "Have they opened it yet?" he asked.

Eleanor shook her head. "Tomorrow. The moon… An eclipse." She turned back to Bobby and raised one blood-smeared hand to cup his cheek. "I'm sorry, Bobby."

He shook his head. "No, shh. It's okay, it's okay."

"I'm sorry, I'm reall-"

"Tell us where they are," Bobby insisted gently.

Before she could say anything else, Eleanor slumped to one side, clearly dead. "El?" Bobby asked, although Dean could tell by his tone that he knew she was already gone.

"I'm sorry this had to happen," a gravelly voice said from behind him. All of them turned as one to see Castiel standing just a few feet behind them. There were a lot of emotions swirling in his eyes, but his posture was stiff, his face unreadable. He didn't _look_ real sorry to Dean. "Crowley got carried away."

"Yeah, I'll bet it was all Crowley, you son of a bitch," Bobby growled. He took a step forward, but Dean grabbed one arm at the same time that Sam grabbed the other. As much as Dean didn't want to think that Cass would hurt Bobby, the whole situation with Brandy and Steve had opened his eyes to how much trust he'd put into the angel.

And if that hadn't had him second-guessing himself, the raw look in Piper's eyes as she stared at Castiel would have done the trick.

"You don't even see it, do you?" Dean snapped. "How totally off the rails you are?"

"Enough," Castiel snarled, and the nastiness in his voice was enough to give Dean pause. "I don't care what you think. I've tried to make you understand. You won't listen. So let me make this simple. _Please,_ go home and let me stop Raphael. I won't ask again."

"Good," Piper said coldly. "Because you already know our answer."

Castiel shook his head sadly, and for some reason it _infuriated_ Dean. "I wish it hadn't come to this," the angel said mournfully. "Rest assured, when this is over, I will save Sam, but only if you stand down."

Dean felt like his heart had stopped. "Save Sam from _what?"_

Castiel disappeared, and before Dean could do or say a thing, he reappeared behind Sam. He reached up to press two fingertips to Sam's temple.

The way his little brother screamed would join Dean's nightmares for the rest of his life.

* * *

It had been a long time since Piper had been in shock, but she was certain that that was what she was feeling. She wrung out another cool cloth and carried it back over to the cot they'd set up in the middle of Bobby's panic room. Sam was laid out on it, completely unconscious, but he would sometimes twitch or moan deep in his throat. She smoothed the cloth over his damp forehead and cheeks, wishing there was more she could do.

Dean and Bobby came in a few minutes later, both looking stormy. "Anything?" Bobby asked.

When Piper shook her head, Dean let his breath out explosively. "We can't just sit here. We've got to help him."

"Dean," Piper said reproachfully.

"I mean, dreamscape his noggin or something."

"You know what Cass did," Bobby said sharply, and Piper had to hide the way she wanted to flinch at the angel's name. "The dam inside your brother's head is gone, and all hell's spilling loose. We don't know what's going on in there."

"I don't care! We've gotta do something!"

"And we will," Piper said, gentle but firm. "But right now, we've got sixteen hours until they open the gate to purgatory. We're already down one man, we need both of you working on that."

"How's that even _going?_ We've got no line on Crowley, we've got no line on Cass, Balthazar's MIA. All we got is Sam, going through whatever the hell this is!"

Piper knew that Dean was just angry and scared at the situation they found themselves in, not specifically at her, so she let the fact that he was technically yelling _at_ her slide.

Bobby did not, and he was glaring daggers at the eldest Winchester when he spoke. "You know, this is exactly what Cass wants. For you to fall to pieces." He walked over to the cupboard and efficiently poured three whiskeys, handing one to Piper and Dean each before he spoke again. They were both silent as he did so.

"Try to think of what Sam would want."

Dean heaved a sigh and looked heavenward. "We gotta find Cass, Bobby. We gotta find him now."

* * *

Piper was sitting on Dean's lap, his strong arm around her waist. She had her own hand wrapped around his wrist, running her thumb along the delicate skin just below his palm in what she hoped was a soothing manner. He had a tumbler of whiskey in his other hand.

She was struggling to not let her thoughts turn to the last time she was with Dean and whiskey in front of a bed where Sam lay still when she heard the sound of footsteps from behind them. She turned at the same time Dean did to see Balthazar standing just outside the doorway of the panic room.

"Look what the cat dragged in," Bobby said dryly.

The angel was looking around curiously. "Well, at least you mudfish finally got the angel-proofing right." He pointed to Sam. "How's Sleeping Beauty? I trust no one stole any kisses?"

Dean frowned, and Piper stood so he could get up and stalk across the room. She followed at a more sedate pace, snagging the bottle on her way. She had a feeling she'd need it.

"What took you so long?" Dean snapped.

"Honestly? I was having second thoughts."

Piper grabbed another tumbler and poured a couple of fingers into it. "About?" she asked as she handed it over to the angel.

He accepted it quietly, which clued her into how serious this was. "About whether or not to help you." He eyed Dean warily. "I was thinking maybe I should rip out your sticky bits instead."

Piper rolled her eyes. "And what did you decide?"

He stared at her and she stared right back. As much as she wished she was up for the mental acrobatics required to play verbal games with angels, she just wasn't. He'd help them or he wouldn't. Either way, she would get Sam back, and she would stop Castiel.

He finally heaved a sigh, pulled a piece of paper from his back pocket, and handed it to Dean. "Cas and Crowley are there. That's where the show gets started."

Dean was looking at the address grimly. "All right. Give us a minute to pack up, then zap us there."

The angel actually chuckled. "Oh, no, no, no, no. I don't think so."

"And why not?" Bobby asked.

"Because I'm betraying a friend here. A very powerful friend. We all are. So I think I've stuck my neck out far enough already." He looked at each of them in turn. When his eyes got to Piper, they softened just a bit. "Good luck," he said quietly, then disappeared.

* * *

Dean approached Piper cautiously. He knew how this conversation would go, but God help him, he had to try.

"I'm willing to bet the chances of you staying behind to look after Sam are slim to none?"

She snorted, but when he came to stand behind her, she leaned back into his chest. Her eyes stayed on Sam the whole time. "You'd win that bet."

He wrapped her close in his arms and pressed a kiss to her shoulder. "All right, then."

"Just like that?"

"Kitten, it may have taken me years, but I do _eventually_ learn. You're gonna do whatever you need to, and I'm gonna be right there with you, baby."

"Even if we have to go stop the king of hell and our angelic ex-best friend from opening the gate to purgatory for a Hail Mary power grab?" Her voice was soft but tinged with bitterness.

He hugged her tighter. "Even then."

* * *

"I count a dozen mooks, probably more," Bobby said grimly as he looked through binoculars at the building Balthazar had led them to.

They were all sitting in the Impala, trying to get as much recon as possible before they went in to confront Castiel. Piper was in the backseat, subdued.

"Demons?" Dean asked.

"Angels."

He groaned and rubbed a hand down his face hard. "Well, how the hell are we gonna take out that many angels?"

Bobby shrugged. "We don't. We'll ninja our way in."

Dean scoffed. "Awesome, yeah, 'till they hear your knee squeak."

"Shut up."

"Oh, what, now you got thin skin?"

"No," Piper said, suddenly urgent from the backseat. "Do you hear that?"

Once Dean did, in fact, shut up, he heard it, too. A loud, rhythmic booming sound. It almost sounded like giant footsteps coming closer.

"The hell is that? T-rex, maybe?"

He heard the creak of leather when Piper turned around, and her soft gasp. "Oh, fu-"

A huge black cloud of demon smoke surrounded the car, picked it up, and everything went dark.

* * *

Dean woke up crumpled on the windshield, groaning. _Gotta get seatbelts put in,_ he thought dimly. There was a pounding pain in his head, but before he even thought about addressing it, he looked around for the other two passengers in the car.

Baby was definitely flipped upside-down, which he had already gathered. Bobby was next to him, unconscious but breathing. He twisted around a little before he saw Piper, already stirring from where she lay sprawled behind him.

"Pipes?" he croaked.

She groaned and pushed herself up onto her elbows. "I'm okay," she said softly, "I'm okay. You?"

"I'll live." He poked at Bobby's shoulder. "Bobby?"

"What?" the older hunter grunted as he, too, sat up.

"Come on, we gotta go."

* * *

Piper stayed between Dean and Bobby as they crept into the room where they'd heard a woman who she didn't recognize, but who was pretty clearly an angel.

Crowley was standing next to her, chanting. " _Quarum ungulae et dentes, nunquam, tetigerunt carnem humanam-"_

Before he could finish, Dean reared back and threw an angel blade at the female angel. She didn't even have to turn around to catch it. She and Crowley turned to look at the three of them, and with a flick of his wrist, Crowley tossed them down the stairs. Piper clenched her teeth to keep from crying out as she felt bruises forming on top of bruises. When they hit the ground, Dean groaned weakly. She reached out to lay her hand gently on top of his.

"Bit busy, kids," Crowley sneered. "Be with you in a moment." He turned back to the sigils drawn on the wall in blood. " _Aperit fauces eius ad mundum nostrum, nunc, ianua magna aperta tandem!"_

Precisely nothing happened.

The demon looked down at the paper he'd been reading from. "Hmm. Maybe I said it wrong."

Piper's eyes widened as Castiel appeared behind Crowley, holding an empty jar of blood. "You said it perfectly. All you needed was this." He put the jar down on one of the medical examination tables next to him.

Piper slowly began to get to her feet. Next to her, Dean and Bobby did the same.

Crowley had turned to look at Cass. "I see." He walked over to the sigil already on the wall. "And we've been working with…" He reached out, swiped a finger through the blood, and stuck it in his mouth. "Dog blood. Naturally."

"Enough of these games, Castiel," the other angel growled. "Give us the blood."

Crowley rolled his eyes. "Moron. The game is over. His jar's empty." He turned toward Castiel. "So, how'd your ritual go? Better than ours, I'll bet."

Castiel closed his eyes and tilted his head back. Piper's blood ran cold as a bright light began to emanate from him. She covered her eyes with her hand as she quietly panicked.

"You can't imagine what it's like," Castiel said, and he sounded _different_ now that she was really listening for it, like he was further away but louder at the same time. Like he was shouting across a parking lot to them. "They're all inside me. Millions upon millions of souls."

"Sounds sexy," Crowley said dryly. "Exit stage Crowley." He disappeared.

The other angel looked terrified. Castiel tilted his head as he looked at her. "Now, what's the matter, Raphael? Somebody clip your wings?"

 _Raphael?_ If Castiel could ground an archangel, what the hell was he going to do to _them?_

"Castiel, please. You let the demon go, but not your own brother?"

"The demon I have plans for. You, on the other hand…" Castiel snapped his fingers, and the archangel exploded. Piper gasped and turned her head just in time to not get splattered in the face with angel bits. The angel blade Raphael had been holding clattered to the floor.

The angel turned toward them. "So, you see, I saved you."

After a beat, Dean nodded slowly. "Sure thing, Cass. Thank you."

"You doubted me, fought against me, but I was right all along."

"Okay, Cass, you were." Dean was still nodding, hands held up in surrender. "We're sorry. Now, let's just defuse you, okay?"

Castiel tilted his head again. It wasn't the adorable squint Piper was used to on his face. It was more like someone who'd never had facial muscles trying to figure out how they worked. "What do you mean?"

"You're full of nuke, buddy," Dean said gently. "It's not safe. So before the eclipse ends, let's just get them souls back to where they belong."

"Oh, no. They belong with me."

"Cass," Piper protested softly. "It's frying you."

"No. I'm not finished yet. Raphael had many followers, and I must punish them all severely."

"Listen to me," Dean said harshly. "Listen, I know there's a lot of bad water under the bridge, but we were family once. I'd have died for you. I almost _did_ a few times. So if that means anything to you…. Please. I lost the life I wanted with Piper, that apple-pie life, and now I've lost Sam. Don't make us lose you, too. You don't need this kind of juice anymore, Cass. Get rid of it before it kills us all!"

"You're just saying that because I won. Because you're afraid." Piper saw movement behind Cass, but kept her eyes on the angel. "You're not my family. I have no family."

The words sliced through her, but before she could protest, Sam was behind Castiel, driving the angel blade through his chest. Sam groaned, but Castiel simply pulled the blade out of himself and put it down. There was no blood on it or him.

"I'm glad you made it, Sam, but the angel blade won't work, because I'm not an angel anymore. I'm your new god. A better one. So you will bow down and profess your love unto me, your Lord, or I shall destroy you."

Something snapped inside Piper. The weeks of angst and pain, of wondering where her friend went, of wondering what they'd done, as Team Free Will, to deserve all of the shit they were put through.

And now Castiel was asking _this_ of her.

She stepped forward, seeing red. She ignored the way Dean hissed her name in alarm, and Bobby's sharp intake of breathe.

"You want me to grovel, Cass?" she snarled. "You're going to have to make me."

* * *

 _\- Feedback gets my motor running._  
 _\- Come see me on tumblr at kbeautimous!_  
 _\- Me: "You're the level-headed one. How do you handle this?"_  
 _Piper: "...I essentially tell the angel to go fuck himself."_  
 _Me: "... Piper, Piper no."_  
 _Piper: "PIPER YES."_


	96. He'll Come Around

Something was dripping in the corner of the room. The sound was magnified in the silence after Piper's declaration. Castiel stared at her evenly, but she was too furious to pull her eyes from his.

"You will not bow down?" he asked icily.

"Never."

"Come on, Piper," Bobby said reasonably, placating. "Cass, you want us down on our knees? Or are you more 'forehead to the carpet?'"

Without taking her eyes from the angel's, Piper sneered. "I'd rather-"

"What's the point?" Cass interrupted. "What's the point if you don't mean it? You fear me. Not love, not respect, just fear."

"Cass-" Sam began.

"Sam, you have _nothing_ to say to me. You stabbed me in the back."

"Oh, so _now_ you've got thoughts on loyalty?" Piper snarled.

"Come on, Cass," Dean said softly as he came to stand next to Piper. He put one arm out in front of her, as if to keep her from lunging at the angel. "This ain't you."

"The Castiel you knew is gone."

Piper snorted, but managed to keep her mouth shut. She had no idea where the reckless anger coursing through her veins had come from, but she was _furious._

"So, what then?" Dean asked. "Kill us?"

Cass tilted his head. "What a brave little ant you are. You know you're powerless, you wouldn't dare move against me again. That would be pointless. So no, I have no need to kill you. Not now. Besides…" His eyes drifted over to land on Piper. "Once, you were my favorite pets, before you turned and bit me."

She stared at him incredulously, anger keeping her warm where fear should have been freezing her insides. "Who even _are_ you?"

"I'm god," he said simply. "And if you stay in your place, you may live in my kingdom." He looked away from her, and the closest thing to a smirk that she'd ever seen was on his face. "Not doing so well, are you, Sam?"

Piper whipped around to stare at Sam. She hadn't gotten to get a good look at him, and she felt her fury start to take a backseat when she saw him. "Sam?" she whispered, taking a step toward him.

He was pale as hell, sweaty, and looked like he was barely able to stay standing. He swayed a bit on his feet as he coughed wetly. "I'm… I'm fine."

"You promised you would fix him!" Dean snapped.

" _If_ you stood down, which you hardly did," Cass corrected imperiously. "Be thankful for my mercy. I could have cast you back into the pit." The last was directed at Sam.

"Cass," Dean pleaded, and the desperation in his voice started to get through to Piper. Her husband was as upset as she was. "Come on! This is nuts! You can turn this around, please!"

"I hope for your sake," Castiel said forebodingly, "this is the last you see of me."

With that, he vanished.

Piper turned to Sam to check on him, but wasn't able to get to him before collapsed to the ground.

* * *

Dean kept a lid on his anger until they got back to Bobby's. He stayed quiet while they loaded an unconscious Sam into his bedroom and got him comfortable. He didn't say anything as they ate a quick, strained dinner, or when Bobby said an early good night and went to bed himself.

Piper knew, of course. They'd known one another for over fifteen years, and had been together for almost five of those. Dean wasn't surprised that Piper knew, nor was he surprised that she waited until they were alone to say something.

"Dean, I-"

"I thought," he interrupted harshly as he sat down on their bed, "that I kinda got why you were mad when I sold my soul for Sammy," and _dammit,_ why was that still so hard to talk about? "And when I went to that doctor who killed me, so I could talk to Death. I thought I got it, I really did." He barked out a humorless laugh. "I guess I really _do_ get it now, huh?"

"Dean-"

"You know, Pipes," he continued, heedless of her words as he untied his boots and tossed them under the bed, "every _goddamn_ time I do something stupid, you're right there to remind me that it _was_ stupid. You've been preaching to us about being reckless for _years_ now, and the first fucking chance you get, you mouth off to _god?!"_

As he stood and whipped his shirt off, still too angry to look at her, he heard her say meekly, "It wasn't really _god,_ it was just Cass."

Dean snorted. "Yeah, Cass all hopped up on _every fucking soul in purgatory."_ He yanked his jeans off, too, before sitting back down on the bed to kick them onto the floor. "Jesus fucking Christ, Piper, you think _semantics_ is what you should be arguing right now?"

"I just-"

He shook his head, resting his hands next to his hips on the bed. "Pipes," he said softly, and he hated how rough his voice sounded, how low and upset it was. "I had to watch you talk your way into almost getting fucking _smote_ today. I just…" He rubbed a hand hard down his face. His whole body hurt from being tossed around, especially his back, although that probably had something to do with being on the other side of thirty. He didn't want to deal with this. "I just can't do this right now."

Her silence said everything he needed to hear, and for the first time since the night they'd fallen into bed together, Dean went to bed without touching his wife at all.

As he stared at the wall, his body aching and his heart pounding in his chest, he listened to her settle in for bed behind him. When she finally got under the blankets, she didn't move closer. He wasn't sure if he was relieved or not.

"I'm sorry, Dean," she whispered.

"I know, Pipes."

He didn't fall asleep for a long time, and he didn't sleep easy, either.

* * *

When Piper was frustrated with herself, she had a few coping mechanisms she usually went to first.

Unable to sleep several hours after lying down, she slipped into one of her flannels (somehow, it didn't feel right to take one of Dean's just then) and a pair of leggings and went down into the kitchen.

First, she pulled out a bottle of whiskey from above the refrigerator and poured a few fingers into a tumbler. She didn't slam it back like she had earlier in the day, but sipped at it while she sat at the table, her bare feet kicked up onto the chair across from her. She let the liquor seep into her belly and warm her, easing the pains she'd gotten from the day.

Once she'd gotten about halfway through the glass, she stood up and started to bake.

There were a couple of advantages to baking a pie in the middle of the night. The first, of course, being that Dean loved pie, and sometimes just having some around eased his mind for a few moments. While that was definitely an advantage she had in mind, she didn't do it just for that. Pie wasn't going to make him forgive her, and she didn't want it to. She just wanted to do something nice for him, because even outside of the argument they'd had, the last few days had been _really_ bad, and he'd been there for her every step of the way.

 _Only for you to let him down at the last minute,_ she thought nastily to herself.

The second advantage of baking a pie in the middle of the night was that no one else was up, so she had the kitchen to herself. She hummed softly and took sips of her whiskey intermittently as she kneaded the dough for the crust, possibly with more force than strictly necessary.

And the third advantage was that she'd made so many pies that she had the recipes for many of them perfectly memorized, so she didn't really have to think about what she was doing. Which left her mind free to think of her predicament.

She knew she was in the wrong this time. There was a time and a place for being hot-headed, for thinking with one's heart instead of one's head, and confronted with a souped-up Castiel who was already irritated with them? Probably wasn't that time or place. She'd acted without real thought, and her impulsivity could have not only gotten herself killed, but the three people on the planet who she loved most.

 _Fuck._

The sun was peeking over the horizon as she slid the first pie into the oven.

Dean was right to be mad, and as much as it broke her heart, she knew she'd have to give him his space. Her husband had always been the type of man who wanted silence around him when he was angry, who wanted to be alone with his Impala or a beer and just _think._

Just after she started the coffee maker, Bobby came into the kitchen, scrubbing his face with one hand. "Mornin', Pi."

"Good morning, Bobby," she said softly, subdued.

He stared at her for a long minute, then sighed. "Come on out to the front, kiddo."

She poured them each a cup of coffee, doctored hers the way she liked it and poured a splash of whiskey into Bobby's, then followed him out to the porch in front of the house. After handing him his mug, they both leaned against the railing, staring out into the yard.

"You know," he said after a long time, "you've never really been the kind of idjit who ran off and did something stupid like you did last night."

She winced. "I know."

Bobby rolled his eyes. "Aw, shut up. I'm not sayin' _I_ think you were in the wrong. Hell, you've got bigger balls than I do. God knows I was thinking about kneeling for the bastard."

"It was stupid, Bobby," she argued. "I could have gotten all of us killed."

He nodded. "Yeah, yeah, you could have. Don't mean you weren't right."

She shook her head. "No, I wasn't right. There were better, more delicate ways to handle the situation. That I _should_ have handled the situation. I just…" She sighed. "Bobby, I was so _mad."_

"Well, the angel's fucked up big time. Makes sense that you were mad."

She groaned and dropped her head to hang between her shoulders. "I'm not used to being the bad guy."

He chuckled. "Nah, you're pretty damn close to perfect, Pi." His voice sobered a little. "Hard to imagine Dean'll be mad for long."

"I'm also not used to _that."_

"It'll be good for you kids. See how your other half lives."

She looked back up to the yard, blinking back tears. "I hate this."

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in tight. His comforting smell of gun oil and whiskey washed over Piper, making her relax just a little. "He'll come around."

She leaned into him. "I know."

* * *

Dean woke up late that morning, closer to afternoon, to the whole house filled with an incredible scent.

 _Piper's stress baking,_ he thought giddily, a beat before he remembered the night before.

He lay in bed for a moment, staring at the ceiling. He knew without considering too hard that he'd already forgiven her. Hell, if there was anyone who could understand being impulsively stupid when angry, it was Dean himself. He thought his anger had probably been a little hypocritical in hindsight.

He rolled out of bed and threw on a t-shirt and a pair of sweats. If he was going to owe Piper an apology, he wanted to get it out of the way early so she might give up some of the pie he could smell cooling in the kitchen. He winced as he walked around, because he still hurt, and he was still exhausted. He hoped that was coffee he was smelling along with the pie.

He trudged down the stairs and was greeted with the sight of his wife cradling a cup of coffee to her chest, staring out the kitchen window. Her pretty face was drawn and pale with exhaustion and leftover emotion. He felt a pang of guilt for putting it there.

He came up behind her and hesitantly put his hands on her hips. The wave of relief that washed through him when she leaned back into his chest was immense. He buried his face in her hair and opened his mouth to apologize, but she beat him to it.

"I'm really sorry," she said softly. "I totally get why you're mad, and I'll get out of your hair so you can eat breakfast, but I want you to know that I'm sorry."

When she tried to move away, he tightened his arms to keep her where she was. "Pipes, babe…" He sighed. "I probably overreacted."

She snorted. "You definitely didn't. Unless I overreact every time _you_ do something stupid."

He chuckled into her hair. "I'm just saying, water under the bridge, baby. Sorry I yelled."

She turned in his arms, and the glint in her hazel eyes hit him with a warm punch in his solar plexus. "Well, _I_ can think of a few ways we can make up," she purred.

* * *

Hours later, Piper was curled against Dean's side, head resting on his bare chest. They'd taken one of the several pies she'd made (and some ibuprofen) back up to their bedroom and had proceeded to find ways to apologize to one another with mouths and fingers and warm apple filling. Once they were both sated and properly worshipped, they'd taken a scalding shower together, where they'd made love again.

As she rested on his chest, drawing light, idle patterns on his stomach with gentle fingers, Piper just basked in him for a moment. Oh, everything was still shot to shit. Sam was still out of commission, Cass was still out there somewhere, wreaking havoc, and they didn't even have Baby back from the warehouse yet (although one of Bobby's contacts was picking her up and dropping her off that day). For now, though, in their warm bedroom that smelled like apple pie and sex, she felt as close to all right as she could.

And for now? She'd take it.

* * *

 _\- Feedback gets my motor running._  
 _\- Come see me_ tumblr _at_ kbeautimous _!_


	97. If You Catch My Drift

_\- Hi. We could have gone with plot today, but considering everything Pipes and Dean have been through, not to mention what I, myself, have been through the last few days, I wanted some aimless fluff._

* * *

The next morning, Piper woke slowly, enveloped in warm limbs, with early morning sunshine draped over the bed. Dean was curled tight behind her, his arm around her waist keeping her close. She smiled into her pillow, a little giddy for a moment despite the dire situation they were in. _Again._

Things just always seemed better when she woke up next to her husband.

She slowly turned in his arms, careful not to wake him up. Once she was facing him, she just stared at his handsome face relaxed in sleep. _Lucked out there, Piper,_ she thought, using one gentle finger to trace the freckles peppering his cheekbone. He twitched a little, but stayed dead asleep through her ministrations. The fight with Cass, getting Sam home, and the argument between the two of them (and subsequent making up) had wiped him out. He'd probably sleep until late morning again.

Still moving slowly, she extracted herself from his embrace. She decided to let him get his rest while they had the chance. There was _another_ big fight coming their way, with Cass juiced up and the angels still fighting. Her poor husband needed the respite.

* * *

After she'd showered, braided her hair, and dressed (quite gleefully in one of Dean's much bigger flannels over her leggings this time), she went downstairs to start coffee. They'd wasted the day before with fighting and sex, so very little had gotten done, and she needed to check on a few things.

With the coffee starting to brew, the first thing she did was take a wet washcloth and go into Sam's room.

She felt a pang of guilt when she saw him lying there, but she pushed through it. She loved Sam, she really did, but the day before she'd been too preoccupied to check on him. She tried not to feel too bad about it.

She made up for it now by rolling her eyes at the sight of him. Unconscious though he was, he was also still fully dressed on top of the bedding in his room. Dean had been too angry when they'd deposited him, and Bobby would never have thought anything of it.

She put the cloth aside with a sigh and went around the bed to untie and tug off his boots. She gently pulled off his coat, flannel, jeans, and socks, leaving with his briefs and undershirt on. With some effort, she maneuvered him under the blankets on the bed, laid out on his back, like he preferred.

Once all of that was done, she was finally able to sit next to him on the bed and wipe his face gently with the cool cloth. She finger-combed his hair and hummed softly to him, anything she could think of to try to provide him with some comfort.

"Oh, Sammy," she said softly, "How could he do this to you?"

Piper usually tried to be a forgiving person, but she wasn't sure how much she'd be able to forgive Castiel for what he'd done to Sam. She wanted so badly to be able to welcome her friend back with open arms, but this, along with what he'd done to Steve and Brandy? She had her doubts.

Once he was as comfortable as she could possibly make him, Piper left Sam in his bedroom, shutting the door gingerly behind her. She tossed the cloth into the hamper and went back downstairs to make herself a cup of coffee.

While she was stirring creamer into her mug, she heard the rumble of a car coming up through the salvage yard. She looked down at her attire and shrugged. If it was a customer for the yard, it wasn't like they were projecting an air of professionalism, anyway. She didn't really feel the need to change, but she did grab one of the grimy _Singer Salvage_ trucker caps and put it on before she went out to the front porch.

She also grabbed one of the shotguns and her cup of coffee, because she wasn't willing to be caught unawares.

It was _insanely_ early, so she held the gun loosely at her side and sipped her coffee as she waited for whoever it was to drive into view. She was in no hurry to face whatever it was the day was bringing, so she was content to stand there.

A beat to shit pickup truck slowly came up the drive, which told her precisely nothing. The only hunter she knew who drove a car that _wasn't_ a beat up truck was her husband. Hunting wasn't easy on cars, so hunters drove them until they disintegrated under them and stole a new one. It was a way of the life.

So it wasn't until the truck got relatively close that she was able to catch a glimpse of who was behind the steering wheel. When she did, she grinned and waved him up, setting the rifle on one of the rocking chairs (with the safety firmly on) and walking out into the yard, coffee cup still in hand.

The truck parked, and a grizzled older man jumped down. He graced her with a rare smile. "Heya, Piper."

She grinned brilliantly and went up on tiptoe to hug him. "Hi, Irv."

Irv Franklin was another of Bobby's hunting friends who had rubbed off onto Piper as a teenager. She wasn't as close to him as she was with Mara, or Bobby himself, of course, but she liked Irv just fine, and he liked her back.

He indicated the trailer his truck was pulling with a thumb over his shoulder. "Got your man's car right here for ya, pretty lady."

She beamed. "Irv! I had no idea it was you bringing Baby back! Let me make breakfast to make it up to you."

She thought she could detect a blush on the hunter's already ruddy cheeks. "Aw, Piper, you don't need to-"

"Ain't no use arguing with her, Irv," Bobby's voice came from behind her. "She's in a good mood today."

Piper turned to cock an eyebrow at him. "And _what,_ pray tell, does that mean?"

Bobby was giving her a death glare, which may have scared the Winchester brothers, but had never frightened Piper one bit. "Girl, I heard _exactly_ how good a mood you'd be in today last night, if you catch my drift."

 _Oh, fuck. Oh, god._ Piper felt her face heat even as Irv started to chuckle behind her. She hid her face behind her coffee cup. "Sorry, Bobby," she mumbled, willing herself to stop blushing.

"All I'm saying is," Bobby said, a knowing twinkle in his eye when she managed to meet his gaze to give him a death glare of her own, "I think you owe more than just Irv here breakfast."

"Oh, _god,"_ she groaned. "Yes, yes, okay, I'll make breakfast. Message received."

She fled into the house to cook, leaving both men behind her to laugh and catch up.

* * *

Dean woke up to the lingering smell of bacon in the air and the lack of woman in his arms.

Suspecting that the first explained the second, he kept his grumbling to a minimum as he pulled his (admittedly less) sore body out of bed and pulled on a pair of old sweatpants. He forwent a shirt, because what else was being at home for, and went in search of Piper.

Before he found her, he made a detour to Sam's room to check on his brother. He smirked when he saw that the kid had been cleaned up and tucked in. It told him about how long Piper had been awake. If she'd had time to come in and take care of Sam, she'd woken up pretty early. Considering the athletic night they'd had, he was surprised.

When he got downstairs, the kitchen was empty of both food and people. Through the window, as he poured a cup of lukewarm coffee he saw Irv's truck, and his eyebrows rose up. _The hell is Irv doing here?_

Before he could get too involved in finding out what was going on, he caught sight of Piper opening the door of the trailer hitched to Irv's truck and stepping up inside.

He put his coffee down. _What do we have here?_

After running upstairs and grabbing a shirt, he made his way out to meet her on bare feet. As he got closer, he heard her murmuring. He grinned when he realized just what she was murmuring _at._

"Oh, Baby," he heard her coo. "Look at you, sweetheart. Don't you worry, Dean's going to fix you right up, okay? Oh, you poor thing."

He crept up to the door of the trailer before she turned to see him. She flushed bright red, and Dean chuckled even as he had to stem his libido. "Hey, kitten," he said with a smile.

"Uh…"

"Don't worry, I talk to her, too, baby."

She made a face at him as she came to the door of the trailer. "I like to think I'm not _quite_ as close to the car as you are, thank you very much."

Dean automatically lifted his hands to her hips, waited until her hands were on his shoulders, and gently helped her out of the trailer, placing her on her feet just in front of him. "Tell yourself what you gotta, kitten, sounds like you girls are pretty close to me."

She rolled her eyes but leaned into him. "Hungry?"

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Always."

She hummed. "Well, I left a burrito in the oven for you to keep it warm."

"Irv still here?"

"Yeah, he's somewhere in the house with Bobby, talking shop."

"Talking shop about _what?"_

Piper sighed and pressed her face into his chest. "Cass," she whispered. "They're talking about Cass."

* * *

Later, Dean was walking around Baby, taking stock of the damage done.

 _Windows need replacing. Lights, too. Dash is cracked. Roof is gonna have to be bent back into place._

Baby had been, since the day his father had handed over the keys, Dean's way of dealing with whatever was out of his control. When his father died, when he and Piper fought, when he and _Sam_ fought. Maybe he couldn't do everything to help his family that he wanted to, but by god, he could get the car running like a dream again. He'd been depending on Baby to keep him sane for almost a decade now.

"Hey, you." Piper's soft voice drew him from his thoughts. He turned to see her smiling at him, a beer in her hand as she leaned on the railing. "Doing okay?"

He shrugged. "Been better, but I've been worse, too."

She nodded and came down the steps to meet him. They were silent for a while, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders to pull her close.

"Anything I can do to help?" she asked finally, looking up at him with understanding in her pretty eyes.

 _And Piper. Been depending on Piper, too._

* * *

The next day, the news stories started rolling in.

* * *

 _\- Feedback gets my motor running._  
 _\- Come see me on tumblr at kbeautimous!_  
 _\- Sorry about the short chapter. We should be back to regular length next time. 3_


	98. If I Had to Bet on Anything

Several days later, Piper was slicing a turkey to make sandwiches for Dean and Bobby when Sam finally woke up.

She smiled brilliantly, but since she was covered in gunk, didn't move from where she was. "Sammy!"

He smiled, running a hand through his hair. "Uh, yeah. Hi."

"You're up walking around with the living. How are you feeling?"

"Yeah," he said, leaning against the counter next to her. "Put my own socks on and everything. I feel fine, honestly." At her cocked eyebrow, he shrugged. "I'm as surprised as you are, but I really do feel all right."

She smiled again. "Well, good. Let's not look a gift horse in the mouth, then." She bumped him with her shoulder. "But if that changes, you'll let me know, yeah?"

He smiled and leaned over to press a kiss to the side of her head. "Sure thing, Pipe."

She beamed and turned back to make a sandwich for Sam, too. For a few minutes she just enjoyed the silence between them. It was comfortable, known. She had been friends with Sam for a long, long time, and just then, with nothing specific hovering over their heads like a dark cloud, it was nice to just _be_ with her brother-in-law for a while.

"So," he said gently, "what happened with Cass?"

She sighed. _Peacefulness broken._ "Well, if you'll hand me that lettuce from the fridge, I'll fill you in while I make lunch."

* * *

Piper watched the news in horror, one hand covering her mouth. Dean had an arm wrapped around her, but she was a bit numb to everything.

 _Cass. They're talking about Cass._

" _The sudden deaths of some two hundred religious leaders are currently under investigation. The Vatican has yet to issue a statement, but some are already calling this an act of god."_

The camera switched to a woman being interviewed.

" _We all saw him. No beard, no robe. He was young, and… and… Sexy. And he had a raincoat."_

Dean leaned forward and switched it off harshly.

Piper was in the front yard doing yoga while Dean worked on the Impala. She was balanced on her left foot, arms outstretched, eyes closed. She'd done a good job of tuning out the radio so far, but there was only so long she could go without something sinking in.

" _-believed to be target hits high up in white-supremacy organizations. The FBI now believes the Ku Klux Klan has been forced to disband."_

Dean snorted. "Can't argue with that one."

Piper sighed and accepted that yoga and peace weren't really going to be an option today.

* * *

Two evenings later, Piper sat with Sam on the trunk of an old junker, watching Dean work under the Impala's hood. The infernal radio was still speaking.

" _A freak lightning strike on the heels of the fire that burned down the Center for Vibrational Enlightenment earlier today. Said the spokesman, 'This tragedy represents the largest loss in New Age motivational speaker history.'"_

Sam snorted. "Motivational speakers?"

Dean turned to grin at them. "Yeah, I'm not sure new Cass gets irony any better than old Cass."

Piper sighed, rolling her beer bottle between her hands restlessly. "Of course, old Cass wouldn't smite Madison Square garden just to prove a point."

"He's off the deep end," Dean grunted, face turned back into the engine, muffling his voice. "Off the deep end of the deep end, and there's no slowing down."

Sam was frowning. "So, what? Try to talk to him again?"

Dean rolled his eyes. "Sam."

"Dean, all we _can_ do is talk to the guy."

"He's not a guy," Dean snapped. "He's god, and he's pissed. And when god gets righteous, you get the hell out of the way. Haven't you read the Bible?"

"I guess…"

Dean turned to look at both of them. "Cass is never coming back," he said harshly. Piper winced, but he kept going. "He lied to us, he used us, he cracked Sam's gourd like it was nothing. No more talk. We've spent enough time on him."

It made Piper's chest ache to think of her friend out there, trying to fix the world all by himself. She knew very well what he'd done, but it still made her hurt.

"Okay," she said softly, tears in her eyes. "You're right."

Dean came forward and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tight. She buried her face in his shoulder, soaking in the comfort he always offered.

When he released her, he pressed a hard kiss to her forehead and held a hand out to Sam.

"We're done. Hand me that socket wrench."

* * *

Sam was reading at the kitchen table that night, although he wasn't _really_ paying attention to the book in front of him.

He understood where Dean was coming from, he really did. He was _obviously_ just as upset with Cass as Dean was, and for good reason. Cass had fucked up pretty royally.

On the other hand… Hadn't all of them?

Dean opening the first seal, Sam releasing Lucifer, Cass cracking open purgatory… It all seemed too similar for Sam to ignore. Was he pissed? Sure he was, Cass had broken his head open and rooted around in there for no good reason. Of _course_ he was pissed, but they'd all messed up in one way or another over the years and they'd been forgiven. After everything they'd all been through, Sam really didn't see how forgiving Cass was out of the realm of possibility.

His musings were interrupted by the sound of the ceiling panel crackling. Sam's head jerked up just in time to see a long chain fall down through the new hole and wrap itself around his neck. He immediately started to thrash, but to no avail as it dragged him up toward the ceiling. A dark voice was pouring from the hole, laughing as Sam strangled to death.

With a jerk, Sam sat up at the kitchen table. Looking around, adrenaline flowing and heart pumping hard, he realized that it had been some sort of… Dream?

"Dean?" he asked. "Bobby? Piper?"

There was no one.

* * *

Piper was _so_ tired of having this argument.

"Well," Sam said evenly, "a publishing house _literally_ exploded about an hour ago. Look, Cass has a body count that's really getting up there. We've gotta do something."

"What we've gotta do is hunt the son of a bitch," Bobby grunted. "Unfortunately, I seem to have lost my god guns."

Piper pinched the bridge of her nose between two fingers, trying to hold off the headache she felt brewing. "Is there some sort of heavenly weapon we can use?" Even _thinking_ about using a weapon on their friend made her upset, but she was trying to be responsible about it. "Maybe something out of the angel arsenal that Balthazar stole? There's gotta be something that can… Uh, something that can stop him."

Dean's eyes were sympathetic, but firm. "He's god, Pipes. There's nothing." He blinked. "But there might be some _one."_

* * *

"This is an absolutely fucking _awful_ idea," Piper said again without heat. Her arguments were falling on deaf ears, but by god, they would be voiced, anyway.

Bobby shrugged. "It's kinda all we got, Pi," he said, almost apologetic as he dropped a match into the bowl in front of him. The flames jumped a few feet into the air, brushing lovingly against the ceiling of the basement they were in as Crowley appeared inside the devil's trap painted on the floor.

"Still a bad plan," she muttered as she eyed the whiskey in Crowley's hand, envy curling in her heart.

The demon, for his part, was scowling. "No, no, _no!_ Come on!"

"I agree," Piper said wistfully.

Bobby rolled his eyes. "Don't act so surprised."

"My new boss is going to kill me for even talking to you people," Crowley lamented.

Dean sneered. "Well, you're lucky we're not stabbing you in your scuzzy face, you piece of shit."

Sam was sitting up. "Woah, wait! What new boss?"

" _Castiel,_ you giraffe."

Bobby's eyebrows went up. "Is your boss?"

Crowley scoffed. "Is _everybody's_ boss. What do you think he's going to do if he finds out we've been conspiring?" He paused. "You _do_ want to conspire, don't you?"

Bobby rolled his eyes. "No. We want you to stand there and look pretty."

Crowley made a face at him, but sobered quickly. "I'm listening."

Dean took a deep breath. "We need a spell to bind Death."

There was a beat of incredulous silence before Crowley turned to meet Piper's eyes. "Bind? _Enslave_ Death? You having a laugh at me, peach?"

She held her hands up. "Don't look at me, I don't like this plan."

"It's not even a _plan!"_ Crowley snarled.

"Hey, Lucifer did it," Dean protested.

Crowley nodded. "That's _Lucifer."_

Sam shrugged. "A spell's a spell."

Crowley glared at him. "You really believe you can handle that kind of horsepower? You're delusional!"

Dean shook his head. "Death is the only player on the board left that has the kind of juice to take on Cas."

"They'll both mash us like _peas._ Why should I help with a suicide mission?"

"It won't be a suicide mission," Dean insisted.

" _How_ do you expect bringing _Death_ and _god_ together in the _same room_ to _fight_ to be anything _but_ a suicide mission?" Crowley shrieked.

"Well, Death likes Piper."

Piper blinked and stared at her husband. " _What?!"_

He blinked. "Well he _does."_

"You want to bind Death, and your whole back up plan is that he _likes me?!"_ Piper was panicking. _Is this panic? Yes. I'm panicking._ She looked at Sam. "How are you even remotely okay with this?"

He shrugged. "I mean, it's a better plan than nothing."

" _Is it?"_ she hissed.

"Why do you think Death even _likes_ her?" Crowley asked, although his voice had lost some of the frantic fury it had had before.

"We don't!" Piper insisted.

"I mean, he didn't turn her into a bloody smear in Chicago," Dean offered.

Crowley nodded. "True."

"He _needed_ me! I was just useful!"

"Now now, peach, he could have given the ring to your squirrel of a husband instead, couldn't he have? No, there must be a _reason_ he chose to speak with you instead."

Piper blinked. "What's happening right now? What's _happening_ right now?"

"I think Crowley is agreeing to work with us," Sam said with a smile.

The demon sighed. "I suppose if I had to bet on anything, I'd bet on you, Mrs. Winchester."

Dean grinned. "Preach."

* * *

That night, there was a fight.

"This is _stupid,"_ Piper snapped, pacing in the kitchen. "This is a _terrible idea."_

Dean sighed. He understood where Piper was coming from, he _did,_ it was just that this was their only hope. Not to mention he really believed that Death would never hurt Piper. He wasn't sure why, but it was a bone-deep feeling, and he was willing to bet on it.

"It's the only idea we have," he said, trying to keep his voice gentle.

She whirled and pointed at him. "Isn't this _exactly_ what we were fighting about a _week ago?_ Being reckless and stupid?"

"Well, not-"

"Dean!" she said, her voice pleading. "Dean, baby, please. This is crazy. There has to be another way."

"What other way?" he asked harshly. "Piper, if you can find another way to take Cass down, I'm all ears. But remember that he's _god,_ his power is unlimited, and _we're not his favorite people anymore._ So if you have another plan, I'm more than willing to hear you out. Until then, this is what we're doing."

He hated yelling at Piper, he really did, but she had to _see._ She had to see that sometimes, yes, he was a little reckless, a little stupid, but never with Piper's life. _Never_ with Piper.

This was a good plan. Sort of.

Her fiery hazel eyes stared into his for a few more tense moments before they seemed to dull, and her pretty face crumpled. "I hate this," she whispered.

Dean was at her side in an instant, wrapping her up tight and cradling her head as she buried her face in his neck. "I know, kitten, I know."

"How could he do this to us?" she whimpered. "He's our best friend."

Dean didn't have an answer for her, so he just rocked her back and forth.

* * *

The next morning, Piper was making breakfast when a piece of paper was slipped under the door. She blatantly ignored it while Bobby picked it up.

She still hated the plan. She thought it was stupid to just _wager_ all of their _lives_ on the off-chance that Death actually even remembered her, much less liked her at all. Dean had joked for years about everyone being nice to her, about every being they met being enamored with her. She let the teasing happen, mostly because she thought she was probably just easier to be nice to than either of the Winchesters or Bobby.

This, though, this was nuts. Even if they hadn't had her, the plan was nuts.

Bobby was looking at the paper. "It's from Crowley."

Dean, sitting at the kitchen table, clapped his hands together. "Well, who feels like hog-tying Death tonight?"

Bobby sighed. "Old age is overrated anyhow."

* * *

 _\- Feedback gets my motor running._  
 _\- I come by any mistakes here honestly, but feel free to point them out so I can correct them._


	99. Figure It Out

Piper wanted a shot. She _really_ wanted a shot, just to settle her jangling, keyed-up nerves, but she refrained. There was already one alcoholic in her marriage, they didn't need two.

The four of them were seated around Bobby's living room staring at the slip of paper Crowley had given them.

 _This is so stupid,_ she mourned.

"Well," Bobby said finally. "We've got most of this stuff, but we're going to have to make a run for a few things."

"Like?" Dean asked.

"Like 'an act of God crystallized forever.'"

Sam frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Piper sat up. "Does it maybe mean an actual crystal? Like, when lightning strikes sand at the right angle and it crystallizes into the perfect shape of itself."

Dean's eyebrows went up. "Lightning's an act of God."

Bobby pointed. "Jenga." He looked back down at the list. "All right, we need fulgurate, and we're gonna need a biggie."

"Let me guess… Rare," Dean sighed.

"Well, I found records of an auction. Winning bidder lives about nine hours from here."

Dean clapped his hands and stood. "All right, then. Let's get out there and get it."

Piper shook her head. "You guys go ahead. I've got an errand to run."

Dean frowned, and even Bobby and Sam stared at her. "What?" her husband demanded. "No. You gotta come with us."

Piper rolled her eyes and stood up. "I don't 'gotta' do anything. And if we're gonna go ahead with this stupid, _awful_ plan, I've got a few things I need to do to try to make it as smooth as possible."

Sam was frowning now, too. "Like what?"

* * *

"Fried pickle chips?" Bobby asked dryly. "That's your big 'protection' plan?"

Piper shrugged and put the greasy bag on the little side table next to the couch in the upscale living room they stood in. "Don't look at me like that, the guy's a foodie. I'm just trying to butter him up so he doesn't leave us smears on the carpet."

"Your faith in us is astounding and humbling," Sam muttered as he walked past her and into the dining area attached to the room they were in. When he got there, he addressed the people tied to chairs and gagged, their eyes wide and panicked. "Sorry. Again. About all of this."

"Oh, _okay,"_ Piper snarked. "I'm so sorry that I've offended your delicate sense of self, Mr. _Kidnapping."_

Sam rolled his eyes and turned back to the area that he'd already begun to draw the symbols they'd need for the spell. Piper looked at the bound couple and winced.

"My only defense," she said gently, "is that we truly don't intend to hurt you, and the being we're summoning here has no interest in harming anyone, either."

 _I hope._

* * *

"You're joking."

Death looked precisely as Piper remembered him. Handsome, in a predatory, almost bird-like way. Dressed in all black, carrying a walking stick, and glaring down his nose at all of them.

Piper sighed. "I know. I'm sorry." She gestured. "I got you fried pickle chips, though. Best in the state."

When Death just stared, apparently her big strong husband got nervous.

"It's not what it seems," he blurted.

Piper rolled her eyes and Death narrowed his. "It _seems_ like you bound me."

"… Uh, right. But for a good reason!"

"This is about Sam's hallucinations, I assume."

Piper's eyebrows shot to her hairline and her blood froze. " _Excuse me?"_

"What?" Dean snapped, whirling to face his brother.

"Sorry, Sam." Death sounded unconcerned. "One wall per customer. Now unbind me."

Sam's eyes were darting between Piper and Dean nervously, but he addressed the eternal being in the room. "Uh, we can't. Y-yet."

"This isn't going to end well," Death said serenely, munching on a pickle chip.

Dean took a deep breath. "We need you to kill God."

Piper closed her eyes for a beat in resignation before opening them again to see Death paused with a chip halfway to his mouth. "Pardon?" he said, just a hint of incredulity in his voice.

"Kill God," Bobby said finally. "You heard right. Your… Honor?"

Death cocked an imperious brow. "What makes you think I can do that?"

"You're the only one who can," Dean answered.

"Why _should_ I?"

"Because… We said so," Dean said, "and you-"

" _Dean,"_ Piper said, horrified. "What the hell? We can't just-"

"Amazing."

The gravelly voice from behind them had Piper whirling to stare at Castiel, looking at then with surprise on his face.

"Cass," she breathed.

"I didn't _want_ to kill you," the angel said, "but now…"

Dean frowned. "You can't kill us."

"You've erased _any_ nostalgia I had for any of you."

Dean shook his head. "Death is ours. We're not gonna die, even if God pulls the trigger."

"Annoying little protozoa, aren't they?" Death said, but Piper couldn't find it within herself to look away from Cass. Death snorted. "'God?' You look awfully like a mutated angel to me. Your vessel's melting. You're going to explode."

Castiel frowned. "No, I'm not. When I've finished my work, I'll repair myself."

"You think you can because you think you're simply under the weight of all those souls, yes? But that's not the worst problem. There are things much older than souls in Purgatory, and you gulped those in, too."

The angel waved a hand. "Irrelevant. I control them."

"For the moment."

"Um, not to interrupt," Piper said hesitantly, "but, uh, what 'older things?'"

"Long before God created angel and man," Death said with the tone of someone repeating a long-learned lesson, "He made the first beasts – the leviathans."

"Leviathans?"

"I personally found them entertaining, but He was concerned they'd chomp the entire petri dish, so he locked them away. Why do you think He created Purgatory? To keep those clever, poisonous things out. Now Castiel has swallowed them. He's the one thin membrane between the old ones and your home."

"Enough," Cass snarled.

"Stupid little soldier you are," Death mused.

"Why? Because I dared opened a door that He shut?" Cass sneered. "Where is He? I did a service, taking His place."

"Service?' death asked. "Settling petty vendettas?"

"No. I'm cleaning up one mess after another. _Selflessly."_

"Quite the humanitarian."

"And how would you know? What are you, really? A flyswatter?"

Death chuckled. "Destined to swat _you,_ I think."

"Unless I take you first."

Death laughed outright, and Piper wondered if she'd ever heard a more awful sound. "Really bought his own press, this one. Please, Cass. I know God, and you, sir, are no God."

Dean, apparently, had had enough. He stepped forward again, ignoring Piper's restraining hand on his arm. "All right, put your dicks away, both of you," he growled. He looked over at death. "Look, call him whatever you want. Just kill him now!"

Piper winced, he heart beating a fierce, painful rhythm in her chest. She didn't _want_ to kill Cas, she wanted him back. She didn't want him dead, she just wanted her friend at her side again. She knew it probably wasn't possible, but she could dream.

Cass snapped his fingers, and the warding around Death vanished.

Piper swallowed hard. _Definitely not possible._

"Thank you," Death said. "Shall we kickbox now? I had a tingle I'd be reaping someone very, very soon." Dean put an arm in front of Piper and started backing them away. When Death glanced at her, she could have sworn the look in his eyes was… _Warm._ "Not you," he said simply. "Don't worry." He turned again and picked up another pickle chip. As he did so, Castiel disappeared.

"Well. He was in a hurry." He turned to look at them again, his gaze calculating this time.

"Uh…" Dean was still backing away.

"Hush, Dean. You know, I'm not here to tie your shoes every time you trip. I warned you about those souls how long ago? Long enough to stop that fool. And here we are again with your little planet on the edge of immolation."

"Well, I'm _sorry,"_ Dean snapped. "We've been trying to _save_ this planet, so maybe-"

"Dean," Piper said softly. She stepped up to stand in front of him, facing Death, ignoring his irritated huff. "I'm sorry," she repeated. "I know this is inconvenient."

"Indeed." Death stared at her for a long time, and she managed to hold his gaze. She wasn't particularly afraid of him in the first place, but it was nice to know she could have a staring contest with him and stand a decent chance.

Finally, he sighed. "You know, I _do_ find that little angel arrogant."

"Great," Dean said. "Let's go with that."

Death turned to face them fully, still eating. "Your only hope is to have him return it all to Purgatory. Quickly."

"We need a door," Sam said, the first time he'd spoken since Death had appeared.

Death shrugged. "You have everything you need at that lab. Get him to return there and compel him to give up the power."

Dean was frowning. "Compel?"

"Figure it out."

Bobby held up a hand. "But that door only opens in the eclipse, and that's over."

Piper remembered the night of the eclipse and shivered a little.

"I'll make another," Death said simply. "Three-fifty-nine, Sunday morning, just before dawn. Do be punctual." Piper opened her mouth, but he held up a hand. "Don't thank me. Clean up your mess. Try to bind me again, you'll die before you start." He paused, the dropped a slow, deliberate wink at Piper. "Good pickle chips, love."

Then he disappeared.

* * *

Piper propped herself by leaning her hip against the desk Dean was working at. He swirled a tumbler of whiskey in his hand. "Want some coffee with that, handsome?"

"It's six p.m. somewhere," he said sourly, draining the rest of it. He leaned back in his chair and regarded her with hooded eyes.

"We need to get going," she said softly. "Especially if we're going to think of a way to get Cass to that lab on time."

"Don't think we're gonna be able to do that, kitten." The slur of his voice told her he'd had _quite_ a bit of that whiskey before she'd tracked him down.

"And why's that?"

He shrugged. "Can't lead a horse to water, can't make it drink. Why fool ourselves?"

She studied him for a long moment. "You don't really believe that," she said softly, hopefully. His derisive snort killed that hope. "Dean," she protested. "Come on, we're going."

"Why?"

"Because Cass is our friend," she said simply. "Maybe he made some stupid mistakes, maybe he's buried under… _Leviathans,_ or whatever, or maybe he's gone. But if there's even a chance that he's still down there, if he's still somewhere in Jimmy Novak's vessel, is there anything we wouldn't do to get him back?"

Dean was silent for a long, long time. "I don't know who to trust anymore," he whispered, his voice raw and honest. "You're the only one, Pipes."

She went to him, kneeling in front of him in the desk chair and resting her hands on his knees. "Talk to me, handsome."

"It's just… Cass, with lying to us, and it turns out Sam's been lying, too. How long was it gonna be before he went off again? What if he'd put you in danger? What if we'd been on a _hunt?_ And Cass… Jesus, Cass honest-to-God _betrayed us._ Who do we trust? What am I supposed to believe?"

Piper took Dean's words seriously, and she thought about them for a few minutes before speaking.

"Me," she said simply.

He smiled a little. "Yeah?"

"Look, we've got a lot of good people around us. We've got a good team, but at the end of the day, it's me and you against the world, baby." She leaned forward to cup his face, gently run her thumb along his cheekbone. "If there's no one else you can trust, or believe in, you believe in me. And when I feel the same way, I'll believe in you. Deal?"

He put his hand over hers and turned his head to kiss her palm. "Deal, kitten."

"And we'll talk to Sam once all of this is over." She brightened. "Maybe Cass can repair the wall once he's better!"

Dean smiled again. "Maybe."

"Come on. Let's go."

* * *

Dean Winchester did not have faith.

He only believed in God because he basically had to, considering the angels, archangels, and Heaven he'd seen. He didn't believe in the goodness of man, or that everything happened for a reason. He didn't believe that someone was watching out for him, or for them.

Dean Winchester didn't have faith, Dean Winchester had _proof._

Proof came to him in every time he was feeling hopeless or lost or betrayed, and a woman who stood shorter than him, weighed probably a hundred and forty pounds, with hazel eyes and auburn hair would smile up at him. His proof was in the ring on his left finger, and the answering one on hers. It was in the touch of her hand, the press of her lips against his.

Dean Winchester didn't have faith. He had proof, and that proof gave him utter belief in Piper.

Piper, he knew, had faith. She'd quietly believed in God for years before they'd had the proof thrown in their faces. She believed in basic humanity, and she believed in each of their friends and family. It made her a beautiful soul, a shining beacon of everything good.

Unfortunately, it also made her believe in Cass.

Maybe Cass would come through, Dean thought as they drove toward the lab again. He didn't think so, he thought Cass was going to fuck them over again, but maybe Cass would surprise him.

But if the angel disappointed Piper again, well.

 _May God have mercy on your soul,_ Dean thought grimly.

* * *

 _\- Feedback gets my motor running._


	100. I Heard Your Call

_\- So, apparently, I... Like... Forgot to post chapter 98? The fuck? Who does that? Anyway, Chapter 98, titled "If I Had to Bet on Anything," is now posted, Chapter 99, titled "Figure it Out" has been moved to its appropriate place, and here's Chapter 100, "I Heard Your Call." My bizzle, famalam._

* * *

Piper let her thoughts wander as she watched miles of scenery go by through Baby's passenger window. It was silent in the car, the air thick with tension. Sam's lies, the hopelessness of the situation, and the ultimatum Death had handed down all made it hard to know what to say.

So instead of trying to force conversation, Piper thought about Cass.

Specifically, she thought about their meeting with the angel on a park bench after failing to prevent Samhain from rising. There had been too much going on then to give Cass her full attention, like Dean lying about remembering hell and Sam lying about demon blood and psychic powers. As they drove yet again to confront their friend, Piper remembered Cass' halted, cautious words on the park bench. She remembered him telling them that he had doubts, that he wasn't sure what was right and what was wrong. The way he'd asked them not to tell another living soul.

She was certain that _that_ person was still somewhere inside Castiel. Maybe buried beneath an untold number of souls, beneath untold power, but she was certain he was there.

And if he was there, she could reach her friend and guide him back to the light.

 _Cass…_ She swallowed hard. _Cass, if you can hear me… Or if you even care to listen, I'm sorry._

Cass was still the being who'd confessed his uncertainty to them on that brisk, sunny day. Overpowered now, yes, but still struggling to do what was right. She wished he'd never lied to them, never gone behind their backs, but she was willing to acknowledge that they hadn't been the _most_ atttentive friends when they'd had their year away. Or, hell, Cass had never had actual friends before, maybe he'd had no idea that coming to them had been a possibility.

Before the youngest Winchester had conked out in the backseat, the three of them had been throwing around ideas on how to get Cass to the lab. They'd come up with precisely nothing. Brute force wasn't going to work, and Piper doubted even a traditional summoning spell would be effective.

They hadn't tried just _asking_ yet, though.

 _I know you're feeling cornered, and probably pretty scared, and maybe a little overwhelmed. I just want you to know that I - that_ we - _are here for you. The souls from Purgatory are killing you, Cass, Death said so himself. Please. Please, let us help you._

Piper bit her lip.

 _You're my best friend, Cass. I need you._

She waited for a beat, not really believing anything would come of it, and was surprised that she still had the capability to be disappointed.

While she was ruminating on that, a familiar fluttering sound in the backseat had her swivelling to stare at Cass, who had just appeared. He was covered in blood, his chest heaving as he tried to draw in a breath. His face was smattered with open sores, oozing clear puss and more blood. Sam startled awake, giving an involuntary sound of surprise as he scooted away from the mess Cass was already smearing onto the leather of the Impala.

 _Dean's gonna bitch about that,_ Piper thought, a touch hysterically.

"Cass," she breathed.

The car jerked as Dean flinched, then corrected. "What the fuck?!"

"I heard your call," Cass said, ignoring Dean.

" _What_ call?" Dean snapped.

Cass continued to pay absolutely no attention to him and focused solely on Piper. "I need your help."

* * *

Piper gently helped Cass prop himself up against one of the lab tables. She was frowning at the dirty floor, but he had blatantly refused to sit in a chair. She suspected it was a self-worth issue, but she wasn't sure how hard she should argue for him just sitting on a damn stool. Plus, Cass had always been rather good at ignoring whatever he didn't want to address.

Like he was ignoring her right now.

"We need the right blood," he was saying to Sam. "There's a small jar, end of the hall, supply closet."

Sam nodded. "Got it." His long stride quickly ate up ground as he hurried out of the lab.

Dean and Bobby were moving a table out of their way and Piper stood to help them before Cass' hand, gentle on her calf, stopped her. She turned again to look down at him.

His blue eyes were soft pleading. "Piper…"

"Do you need something else?" She knelt beside him.

"No, I… Feel regret, about you, and what I did to Sam."

"Yeah, well, you should," Dean snapped from across the room. He and Bobby came over to stand next to them.

" _Dean,"_ Piper scolded.

"He's right," Cass said quickly. "If there was time, Dean, if I was strong enough, I'd fix him now." He looked back at Piper. "I just wanted to make amends before I die."

She smiled. "It's okay, Cass. I get it."

Dean scoffed and rolled his eyes. Bobby just looked on, silent and wary. Cass looked over at them, then just at Dean.

"Is it working?"

Dean shrugged. "Does it make you feel better?"

"No. You?"

"Not a bit."

Cass' face fell and Piper died a little on the inside.

"Would the two of you cut it out?" she snapped. She glared at the angel in front of her. "You are gonna be _fine,_ do you understand me? You are not going to _die._ We're gonna get the souls out of you, jam them back into Purgatory, and you are going to be _fine."_ She looked over her shoulder to glare at her husband. "And _you._ Behave."

Dean scowled and turned sharply on his heel. "I'm gonna go get Sam," he said tightly. "We only have a few minutes. You'd better get Mr. Redemption there on his feet, Pipes." His voice gentled around the familiar nickname like it always did, but she could tell he was angry by the set of his shoulders.

 _Dammit._

She helped Bobby get Cass on his feet, and together they guided him to stand in front of the wall they planned to paint the symbols on to open the door to Purgatory again. Cass swayed on his feet, so Piper slung one of his arms over her shoulder. "It'll be all right, Cass, you'll see," she murmured.

"Your faith is touching," Cass slurred. "Misplaced, but touching."

Before she could argue, Dean was coming back into the lab. He had the jar of blood they needed, but he was frowning down at it.

"Dean?" Piper asked.

"Sam is…" He met her eyes. "I, uh, I dunno where Sam is."

Piper frowned, too. "What? He just went down the hall, didn't he?"

"We can look for him once the ritual's done," Bobby said firmly. "But we got a time limit on this."

Piper hated the idea of Sam lost or hurt somewhere in this awful, cold, dirty building, and she could see that Dean hated it, too. Bobby was right, though.

 _Maybe Cass can help us once he's all healed up,_ she thought, her optimism ringing falsely even in her own head.

"Let's do this, then," Dean said, opening the jar and dipping his fingers in blood.

They watched quietly while he painted the symbol surprisingly fast. It only took a few minutes, and Piper felt a flash of pride that he'd done it purely from memory. _That's my man,_ she thought smugly.

Once he was done, Bobby pulled the piece of paper he'd brought with him from his coat pocket and began to read. Dean and he took a step back, but Piper refused to move, supporting Cas even when his legs gave out and he had to lean more heavily onto her.

" _Ianua magna purgatorii, clausa est ob nos lumine eius ab oculis nostris retento sed nunc stamus ad limen huius ianuae magnae et demisse fideliter perhonorifice paramus aperire eam."_

Cas turned to look at her. This close, his face was a disaster, and only her deep affection for him kept her from recoiling in distress.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "For everything."

She opened her mouth to respond, maybe chastise him for his incessant and (in her opinion) unnecessary apologies, but he turned back to look at the symbol on the wall, which was starting to glow and crackle as Bobby read on.

" _Creaturae terrificae quarum ungulae et dentes nunquam tetigerunt carnem eius ad mundum nostrum nunc ianua magna, aperta tandem!"_

As soon as the last word left Bobby's mouth, the wall crumbled starting at the center of the symbol Dean had painted. It seemed to open into a sort of black vortex, with wind coming from it that tugged at Piper's clothes and hair as well as the pieces of wall.

Without warning, Cass stood straight and shoved Piper to the side. She yelped and went down. She turned and looked up in time to see Cass hold his arms out wide and light explode from his chest, firing into the hole in the wall in a beam as wide as Castiel's chest.

Dean hurried to her and helped her to her feet, then pulled her back and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pressing her back to his chest. Piper stood in front of him, staring at their friend with wide eyes as the souls he'd taken into himself poured back into Purgatory.

After long, almost unbearable minutes, the light stopped, the wall was repaired instantaneously, and Cass collapsed.

" _Cass!"_ Piper darted to him, falling painfully onto her knees so she could reach up and check his pulse.

"Cas?" she said again softly.

Dean and Bobby followed just a beat behind her. Dean gripped Cas' hand for a second. "He's cold."

"Is he breathing?"

Bobby held a hand in front of the still angel's mouth. "No."

"Maybe angels don't need to breathe?" Piper asked, and she hated the desperation in her own voice.

Dean put his arm around her and hugged her tight. "I'm sorry, kitten, I think he's gone."

Piper felt tears sting her eyes but she fought them back ruthlessly. They got to their feet slowly, and despite herself, Piper wasn't able to peel her eyes away from Castiel, lying still on the ground. She bit her lip and leaned against Dean, who wrapped his arms around her tightly and held her to him.

"Dammit, Cass," Dean muttered, pressing a kiss to Piper's temple. "Why didn't you just _listen_ to me?"

A beat after the words were uttered, Cass' blue eyes opened, his skin restored itself, the blood vanished from his face and clothes, and he took in a shallow, quick breath.

" _Cass!"_ Piper shouted again, rushing to help him stand.

"That was… Unpleasant." Even just his voice sounded better, less strained.

"Easy, there," Dean cautioned as they got him on his feet.

"I'm alive," Cass said, faint disbelief in his voice.

"Looks like," Bobby said dryly.

"I'm astonished." After a beat, Cass looked at each of them in turn. "Thank you. All of you."

Bobby shrugged. "We were mostly just… Y'know. Trying to save the world."

Cass winced. "I'm ashamed. I overreached."

Piper opened her mouth to argue, but Dean spoke before she could. "You think?"

Cass kept switching his gaze between the three of them. "I'm gonna find some way to redeem myself to you."

"Of course you are," Piper said vehemently.

"All right, well, one thing at a time," Dean said skeptically. "Let's just get you out of here and find Sam, all right?" They all started toward the hallway Sam had gone down.

"I mean it," Cass insisted. "Dean, I-"

The angel stopped and cried out, doubling over in pain.

"Cass?" Piper asked, hurrying toward him to help.

He flung his hand out, keeping her away. He managed to look up at them, and Piper's heart stopped when she saw the blood pooling at the corners of his eyes.

"You need to run! _Now!_ I can't hold them back!"

"Hold who back?!" Dean asked, grabbing Piper's arm in an iron grip.

"They held on inside me," Cass moaned, his face contorting in pain. "Oh, they're so _strong."_

" _Who,_ Cass?!" Piper felt like her heart was going to hammer itself out of her chest.

" _Leviathan!"_ Cass roared, and Piper felt Dean tug her a step back. Bobby was suddenly on her other side, also trying to pull her away.

"I can't fight them," Cass growled, his teeth grinding together. "Run! Find Sam and _run!"_

"Let's go!" Dean shouted, finally yanking Piper away. She went with him, and the three of them actually got a few steps away before a cold, nasally voice, completely unlike Castiel's, stopped them in their tracks.

"Oops," the voice said cheerfully. "Too late."

Piper whirled to stare. Whatever it was that was wearing Cass now was standing tall, flexing its fingers and shaking its shoulders out. Cass' face was stretched in a gruesome grin that made Piper's heart ache and her hands tremble as Dean came to stand next to her, staring in horror.

"Cass?" he asked.

The thing's face lit up. "Oh, Cass? He's…" It shrugged. "He's dead. Gone. We run the show now." Another terrible smile as blood fell from the thing's eyes and leaked between its teeth.

"Oh, this is going to be _so much fun."_

* * *

 _\- Feedback gets my motor running._  
 _\- I come by any mistakes here honestly, but feel free to point them out so I can correct them._  
 _\- Holy shit. 100 chapters. That's bananas._


	101. Let It All Out

Piper's hazel eyes, wide with fear, made Dean's heart ache. He wanted to pull her into his arms and take her away from this stupid fucking lab, away from this stupid, arrogant angel, and away from the sight of Bobby, bloodied and still, lying on the floor near them.

Unfortunately, all of that shit still had to be _dealt_ with, so he couldn't just bundle her into the Impala and run.

 _Later, baby,_ he thought as he started to sit up.

The… _Things_ wearing Cass were pacing, their attention diverted away from the humans in the room. Dean used the distraction to sit up completely and try to take stock.

"Bobby," he hissed. " _Bobby."_

Bobby finally started to stir, sitting up and blinking around. There was blood splattered oozing from a cut on his cheek and down onto his shirt, but he looked relatively unharmed otherwise. _Thank Christ,_ Dean thought fervently.

He looked back at Piper, but she only had eyes for Cass, who was staring back at her in a way that was raising Dean's hackles. He opened his mouth to snap, anger overriding fear and common sense, but his mouth closed when he saw the line of black goo starting to ooze from Cass' dark hairline.

 _Not Cass,_ he reminded himself. _That's not Cass._

"How many of you ass-clowns are in there, huh?" he asked, starting to get to his feet. "A hundred? More?" More of the goo started to drip from Cass' left hand onto the floor, making little _splat_ sounds as it hit the concrete. Dean smirked and met blue eyes with his own. "Your vessel's gonna explode, ain't it? Wouldn't do anything too strenuous." He shrugged. "In fact, I'd call it a day, head on home, yeah?"

Cass sneered at him. "We'll… Be back for you," he said laboriously. He turned and shuffled away. His shoes squelched as he did so, and Dean could only assume that they were filling with that same black goo.

"Cass," Piper said softly, her hand raised halfway into the air as if to stop the angel. He kept walking, and Dean had to watch Piper's heart break all over again as the angel walked through the door and they listened to him go down the hall.

"Well," Bobby said gently. When Dean managed to glance at him, he saw that his eyes were glued to Piper, too. "That's a new one."

"We have to go after him," Piper whispered, her eyes filling with tears. "We have to… I mean, please."

"Yeah, kitten," Dean said. "Let's go find Sammy and we'll follow Cass wherever he's going, okay?"

She nodded gratefully and Dean took that as his signal to stand. He held out a hand to help her do the same, and her palm was cool and clammy in his as he pulled her to her feet. He pressed a hard, brief kiss to her temple, wishing he could do more in this moment when she so obviously needed him, then turned to get Bobby up, too.

Once everyone had been checked over for injuries, big or small, Dean led Piper down the hall by the hand. He kept his eyes up and looking for any sign of Sam, but he knew she was staring down at the floor where the drops of leviathan ooze had splattered. _Fuck._

He found Sam down a few corridors, Piper and Bobby trailing behind him. Sam had his back pressed against the wall and his eyes were wide with fear and disbelief, staring at…

Nothing?

 _Jesus fuck._

"Sam!" Dean barked, nearing the end of his rope. "Sam. _Sam!"_

Finally, his brother jerked and he looked at Dean. His eyes were wild with fear and desperation. It made Dean's heart clench and he put a hand on Sam's chest to steady him.

"Woah, woah," he muttered. "Hey, look at me." When staring at Sam did nothing to calm the distress he saw in his face, Dean grimaced. "All right. We gotta button this up. Come on, let's get out of here."

* * *

Following the leviathans' path around the lab and to the reservoir got easier and easier the further they got. The goo seemed to be getting more abundant the longer they were stuck in Cass' body, which Piper could only imagine was not a good sign.

 _Hang on, Cass,_ she thought, maybe a little hysterically. _Hang on, I'm coming for you._

When they through the gate and toward the water, Cass was knee-deep in the reservoir and steadily striding out toward the middle.

Piper panicked. " _Cass!"_

She didn't get more than one step before her husband's arm wrapped around her like a band of iron, effectively stopping her desperate attempt to pull her angel out of the water. Even though she knew he was right, his murmurs of, "I've got you," and "let him go, kitten," were right, she fought him hard.

"Let me go!" she hissed, her eyes glued to where Cas was now chest-deep in the water. "Let me go! We have to _try!"_

She stopped fighting and watched helplessly as Cass finally went completely under the water. She held her breath, hopeful for a beat that he'd come back up, sputtering and miserable and guilty and hurting but _alive._

Instead, from where he'd disappeared, a whirlpool of water and black liquid appeared. The black radiated out, soaking into the rest of the water, and then all traces of Cass and leviathans alike disappeared.

Piper felt her legs give out and she felt Dean catch her, but they were distant sensations, felt only through the rapidly rising feeling of completely numbness wrapping her up and leaving her feeling disconnected and floaty.

 _Cass,_ she mourned, praying as hard as she'd ever prayed to God. _Cass, I'm so sorry, Cass. Oh, God, I'm so sorry._

"Damn it," Dean said sharply, frustrated.

"You said it," Bobby agreed. "Those… Whatever you call 'ems…"

"Leviathans," Piper supplied dully. She felt Bobby's eyes on her but ignored them to keep looking out at the water.

"Right. If they're in the pipes, they got themselves a highway to anywhere."

"Awesome," Dean snarled, kicking at the ground.

Something moved in the water and Piper's heart jumped into her throat. She lunged forward before any of the men could stop her and waded into the water. She was knee-deep before she came upon the bundle that had risen, and she felt tears finally start to fill her eyes when she realized what it was. Helplessly, she cradled Castiel's dirty, bloody, oozy trench coat in her arms gently, like it was precious, and turned back to the boys.

She raised her eyes to meet Dean's and the raw pain there made her suck in an unsteady breath.

"Pipes," he started, then shook his head and came to her. She fell gratefully against his chest, trying to control her shuddery breathing, trying not to break down at this reservoir where her friend had…

Where her friend had died.

"Let's go," Bobby said gently behind them.

* * *

Dean watched that night as Piper lovingly hand-washed Castiel's coat, meticulously cleaning off every spot of blood, goo, and mud that was spattered on the canvas. She didn't speak a word while she did it, but he saw the tightness in her shoulders loosen gradually. She wasn't okay, not by a long shot, but he thought maybe, with time, she would be.

Because he didn't see how they would get Cass back from this. He wasn't trying to be negative, but the dude _disintegrated_ after eating a bunch of Purgatory monsters. As resilient as Cass was, and he was damn resilient, Dean knew, he was pretty sure the angel was gone for good.

"Pipes," he said finally, after watching her for almost thirty straight minutes. When she looked up at him, her eyes were red-rimmed but dry.

"Let's go to bed, kitten."

She shook her head and looked back down at the coat. "I… I can't," she whispered, her voice harsh and raspy. "I can't. Cass is gonna…" She swallowed hard. "Cass is gonna need his coat."

"Piper…"

She shook her head again, more frantically. "No, no, Cass is going to need his coat because he's coming back, and he's going to apologize, and we're going to forgive him, and he's going to need his coat because he's finally just going to stick with us and he's going to hunt with us and ride with us and he's going to be _fine_ and we'll all be _fine-"_

Dean was around the table like a shot, scooping Piper into his arms and holding her against his chest as she started to cry in earnest. He cradled the back of her head and pressed kisses to her temple, her cheekbone, her ear.

"I've gotcha, kitten," he whispered. "Let it all out, baby, that's right. I gotcha. It's okay."

* * *

Late the next morning, Piper sat down on the edge of Sam's bed where he was sleeping, still pretty deeply. She had a glass of water, a glass of orange juice, and a huge pile of toast balanced on a tray she'd managed to scrounge from the depths of Bobby's cabinets. She set it on the nightstand and laid a gentle hand on her brother-in-law's shoulder.

"Sam," she said softly. "Sammy, come on, it's time to wake up."

Despite her attempts to be gentle, he jerked awake like a gunshot had gone off in the room. His chest heaved and his eyes darted around as he swallowed hard. His gaze finally settled on her and she smiled, trying to hide how badly he'd startled her.

"Hiya," she said, watching as he relaxed minutely bit by bit. She handed him the orange juice first. "Drink this." He took it from her and took a sip. "How are you feeling?"

"Like hell."

"Well, you slept for about twelve hours."

He finally seemed to shake off whatever had spooked him and focused on her. He smiled a little, and it was shaky but she counted it as a victory. "Breakfast in bed?" he asked.

"Don't get used to it," Dean said from where he was leaning in the doorway. Bobby stood behind him, watching all of them silently.

Piper rolled her eyes, making Sam smile again, and held out her hand. "Give me your hand, I want to check your bandage."

He held it out dutifully and she unwrapped the gauze and started to disinfect the cut there again as the men spoke around her.

"So, ooze invasion? Any leads?" Sam asked.

Bobby answered from behind them. "I got all my feelers out. Whatever they're up to, it ain't about going Mothra down Main Street. It'll turn up."

Piper finished with the dressing and taped the edges of the gauze to fasten the bandage.

"Now," Dean said, his voice hard. "Onto our other big problem. How're you doing? And _don't_ say 'okay.'"

"I'm not okay," Sam said tiredly.

Dean snorted. "You think?"

"Hey," Piper said firmly. "Take it easy."

"There's nothing _easy_ about it, Pipes! We acted like he had everything under control!"

"I get it," Sam said softly. "I'm sorry. Look, I didn't exactly _want_ to crack up, you know?"

Piper put a hand on Sam's arm, bringing his attention back to her. "What happened?"

"Well, it's not just flashbacks anymore."

She frowned. "What's going on, then?"

"It's more like… I'm seeing through the cracks."

"What's that mean?" she could hear the frown in Dean's voice.

"It means I'm having a difficult time figuring out what's real."

"Hallucinations," Piper breathed, dread rising in her chest.

"For starters."

"Well, _for starters,"_ Dean snapped, "if you're tripping Hell's bells, why would you hide that?"

"I wasn't hiding it, Dean!" Sam protested. "I was just not talking about it. I mean, it seemed like we had enough going on as it was." He sighed, indignation leaving as he deflated a little. Piper thought he looked exhausted even after twelve hours of sleep. "Look, I… I just figured, try to hold onto the safety bar and ride it out, y'know? But it's getting more… Specific."

Piper frowned. "Specific? Specific how?"

Sam sighed. "It was… Look, it's… He says none of this is real."

"Who?"

"Lucifer."

" _Lucifer?"_ Dean snarled

" _Dean,"_ Piper scolded without looking back at him. "If you're not going to be helpful, go downstairs and do something else."

He growled a little, but ultimately stayed where he was.

Sam waited until it seemed like that had been decided before going on. "I'm seeing Lucifer. He's strong, like, physical with me, too. He can touch me and hurt me, and it's so…" He wiped a hand down his face. "So _vivid._ I can smell the iron of the cage and the hellfire coming through the bars, it's like… Clinging to his clothes, or whatever. And he looks _just_ the same."

Outright fear was making Piper's stomach cramp. _Shit._ "What does he say?" she asked.

"He… He says you guys aren't real. That he created this whole thing, the soullnessness and the apple pie life for you guys and all of it. He did it to fuck with me, and I'm still down in Hell with him. I'm still there." His eyes had taken on a desperate sheen.

"Pipe," he said softly, his voice trembling with fear. "Pipe, am I still in Hell?"

… _Fuck._


	102. Stone Number One

" _No,"_ Dean snapped. "You're not still in _Hell,_ for fuck's sake."

Warring emotions in her chest were making Piper's palms clammy. It was fear for Sam, who despite everything was still one of her best friends, and fear of Lucifer's lingering influence. It was anger that Lucifer would still have such a firm hold on her brother-in-law, still have the power to make their lives even harder than they usually were. A heavy dose of desperation was mixed in, too. So soon after everything with Castiel (and oh, dear _God_ did it hurt to think about Cass), she _couldn't_ let anything happen to Sam. She _couldn't._

While she was grappling with the sick feeling in her belly, Dean was snapping his fingers.

"I got it! Why would the devil holodeck you a whole new life when he could just kick your ass all over the cage?"

Sam shrugged. "'Cause, as he puts it, 'you can't torture someone who has nothing left for you to take away.'" His eyes darted around the room. Piper wondered if Lucifer was there with them, talking to Sam even as they were.

Dean scowled. "Okay, fine. But this Malibu dream mansion that he makes for you to take away is this… Post-apocalyptic mess?"

Sam's eyes were glued to an area just next to Piper. He was frowning, like he was hearing something he didn't want to hear, and Piper realized she was right.

"Are you… Is he here right now, Sam?" she asked, horrified.

He nodded.

"You know that he's not real, right?" Dean insisted.

"He says the same thing about you guys."

* * *

Piper was kneading dough for pie crust. Well, she was using the pie crust as a cover so she could keep an eye on Sam in the living room. He was silently sitting, methodically taking apart and reassembling his gun. It probably wasn't the _best_ pastime he could have been indulging in, but there were worse things.

Bobby seemed to agree. "Well," he said quietly to Dean, who was looking over his shoulder at the laptop they'd set up at the kitchen table and fiddling with a cell phone at the same time, "at least he's not curled up under the sink."

Dean snorted softly. "Yeah, no, he's just sitting there, field-stripping his weapon while not saying a word."

Piper turned to her husband to add something, but frowned when she realized that the phone in his hands was Sam's. "What are you doing?"

"Turning on his GPS, in case he decides to fly the cuckoo's nest."

While she had to admit that it was a good idea, the lack of trust made Piper itch. She hated the thought that Sam would just… Bail on them. Even if he _did_ think Lucifer was around, bent on tormenting him.

"And you?" Bobby was asking turning a little and looking up at Dean. "How are _you_ doing?"

Pain was written in the lines on Dean's face. "Seriously, it ain't like he's hexed, you know? I mean, what if it's the kind of crazy you can't fix?"

Bobby sighed. "Look, I'm worried, too, but humor me for a second. How are _you?"_

Dean stared at him incredulously. "Who _cares?_ Don't you think our mailbox is a little full right now?"

Bobby opened his mouth to retort, probably to say something that wouldn't actually help, but Piper decided to head the fight off before it got underway.

"Dean?" she said sweetly. "Baby, would you mind grabbing the apple slices from the freezer?" She held up her flour-covered hands and waggled her fingers. "I'll just end up making a mess."

He blinked, then nodded and put Sam's phone back on the table. As he passed her, he stopped to kiss her temple and nuzzle the skin behind her ear. "Thanks," he whispered, voice rough with gratitude.

"Love you," she murmured, tilting her head up for a kiss, which he granted before he fled the kitchen.

As soon as they were alone, Bobby was scowling. "Idjit," he spit.

"You had to know that wouldn't go well."

"Shaddup."

Piper smiled a little. "It was sweet, don't get me wrong, but-"

"Oh, can it, Pi," Bobby snapped, although there was no heat in his voice. She laughed out loud, and he smiled for a beat before sobering. "He's… Okay, right?"

Piper stared down at the dough she was rolling out now. "He's… Well, he will be, at any rate."

* * *

Piper was rolling her eyes and smiling at Dean, who was making a face at her as they brought the groceries in from the Impala. He was complaining about the reusable canvas bags they were using (although she knew damn well he had no opinion one way or another), calling her a hippie in a tone that suggested it was the highest of insults.

Once she'd set her bags down on the counter and turned, she frowned when she realized that both Bobby and Sam were sitting at the kitchen table, looking serious. The last couple of days, while Sam recuperated and they tried to gather intel, had been spent arguing about whether or not they were fit enough, as a unit, to go on a hunt. Sam thought Dean and Piper should go on every hunt they caught wind of, Piper thought they should only go if it looked like leviathans and send someone else on any regular hunts, and Dean thought they should stay where they were until they figured out how to deal with Sam's hallucinations.

Bobby usually sat on the sidelines and called all of them idjits.

It wasn't that Piper _wanted_ to go on a hunt before Sam was better, it was just that Dean was driving all of them _crazy._ He was clearly jonesing to get back on the road, to take the fight to the monsters, but he refused to leave Sam behind. Instead, he'd detailed and washed the Impala twice, done some work around the salvage yard for Bobby, cooked dinner every night for the last few days, and had gotten handsy with Piper more times than she could count (not that she was complaining about the last one, but a girl could get sore).

Bracing herself for an argument, she put on a bright smile. "What's up, guys?"

"Uh, looks like we have some news, for a change," Sam said, gesturing to the laptop on the table in front of him. "Stockville, north Kansas, most of a high school swim team got mangled to death in their locker room."

"Cop talk on the wire's kind of garbled," Bobby added, "saying it looks like some kind of wild animal attack. They're saying that whatever attacked them's about the size of a linebacker."

"Well," Piper said cautiously, "that… Definitely sounds like something." Behind her, Dean just grunted.

Sam's voice was exasperated. "It's a _lead,_ Dean."

To her great surprise, Dean came to stand next to her, and his face somewhere between thoughtful and stubborn. "It could be," he acquiesced.

"It warrants lookin' at, anyway," Bobby said.

Dean looked at Sam. "But if you think you're going out on a hunt…"

Sam held his hands up in surrender. "No, I know I'm not. But _you_ are. Look, Bobby's running the hub, I'm fifty-one-fiftied, so that leaves you and Piper to follow this thing up."

Dean looked pained. "I dunno, Sam. You're in the middle of a psychotic break."

"It's only a couple of hours to drive," Piper said softly. "And it sounds like it could be a leviathan thing. We can't leave that up to other hunters."

"And what am I, chopped brains on toast?" Bobby groused. "I can eyeball the kid." He waved his hands. "Go. Work off some of these nerves on something more useful than cleaning a clean car and making it goddamn hard to sleep at night."

Piper blushed furiously, Sam choked on a laugh, and Dean agreed grudgingly that they'd go.

* * *

The next day, as they drove away from a crime scene that had pretty clearly said "leviathans" to Piper, she held Dean's phone with Sam on speaker.

"Well," Dean was telling his brother as he drove, "we are positive for ick. Same kind of stuff that came out of Cass, and, uh, two of the swim kids were missing. They stole one of their parents' cars."

"So you think these, um, these leviathan things just jump into people? Like Eve did?"

Sam sounded distracted as hell. Piper frowned at the phone, then glanced at Dean. He met her eyes, clearly worried, but kept his voice even when he answered. "I don't know, it makes sense though, right?"

"State trooper's got surveillance cam on the kids, about six hours old," Piper reported. "Just them gassing up just south of the Dakota line, so we're headed back your way. We can track them just as easy from Bobby's."

Sam hummed. "Yeah, sounds good." His voice was tight with strain.

"Hey, how are you?" Dean asked sharply.

"You know, uh. Okay."

Dean was frowning, and Piper understood completely. There was no way that Sam was just "fine." Chances were, in fact, that he was staring down Lucifer in his own head right now. It made her stomach ache with sympathy.

"Hang in there, Sam," Piper said softly.

"Yeah," he replied, still distracted, and the line went dead.

"Well, that went well," she said dryly.

Dean snorted. "As well as it could've, anyway."

She put the phone in her jacket pocket and slid a hand over to rest on the seat in between them, palm up. He took the bait and slid his hand into hers, twining their fingers together and holding on tight.

"How are you?" she asked softly, examining his handsome face carefully. "Really, this time, not just the patented Winchester 'I'm Fine' bit."

He shrugged. "What do you want me to say, kitten? Sam's lost his mind, Cass is gone, there are leviathans killing high schoolers." He shot a bitter, tight smile at her. "You're the only good thing, baby. You're _always_ the only good thing."

She frowned. "Dean, I-"

"I know," he cut in. "I know it's not healthy, but for now, it's all I've got. Can I just… Have this? For now? Just for now, kitten? Please?"

 _Damn him,_ she thought wearily. _Damn Winchester puppy dog eyes._

She leaned over and pressed a kiss to his stubbly cheek. "Okay," she whispered. "Just for now. As soon as Sam is okay, we talk about this. Deal?"

He gave her the side-eye, but he was smirking. "All right. You've got yourself a deal."

"I love you," she whispered again, another kiss to his cheek. "Thank you."

"Love you, too, kitten."

* * *

It was dark by the time they pulled back up to Bobby's. Dean felt the hair on the back of his neck stand straight up when he registered the lack of Bobby's old truck, as well as one of the beaters he'd fixed up for the yard in the last few days.

"Dean?" Piper asked, her voice almost a whisper.

"Yeah, I see it."

He parked Baby and pulled his gun out of his holster. He couldn't have said why, but he felt better with it in his hand. He saw Piper do the same from the corner of his eye as they approached the house. Approval and affection burst in his chest, but he put it aside when they got into the house.

He scanned the kitchen quickly, gun raised. Piper moved to the living room, clearing it the same way Dean did. Their eyes met, and by silent agreement, they split up. Dean hated to do it that way, but with until Bobby or Sam showed themselves, he'd have to assume that it was just he and Piper.

As she went up the stairs, her soft voice called out. "Sam? Bobby?"

Dean hated watching her go up by herself, but he managed to wrench himself from the sight of her and cleared the rest of the house, calling for Bobby and Sam as he did so.

It only took a few minutes, he knew, but it felt like a long time before he met Piper again at the bottom of the stairs. She was holstering her gun, but her pretty face was drawn in distress. "They're not here," she said, biting her lip.

He stuck his gun in the back of his pants and tugged her towards him. Now that they knew the house was safe, she fell into his arms, pressing her face into his chest. "I know," he whispered, kissing the top of her head and holding her tight. "We'll find them. I turned the GPS on Sam's phone on, remember? So _he'll_ be easy to find. Then we just gotta track down Bobby."

She sighed and nodded. "Okay. Sam first, then Bobby?"

"You got it, kitten."

* * *

Dean barely managed to get the Impala in park before he was getting out and running toward the warehouse they'd tracked Sam to. He heard Piper come in right behind him as he flung the door open and stormed in.

Standing in the middle of the place, looking like he was talking to someone next to him, was Sam. He looked confused and scared. Something deep inside Dean, a _take care of Sammy_ instinct he'd had since he was four and had never tried very hard to fight, had him approaching quickly.

"Sam!" His brother turned toward him. "What are you doing?"

To his absolute shock, Sam raised his gun in trembling hands and pointed it towards him. Dean's heart dropped, but he immediately swept one of his arms out to keep Piper behind him. "Woah, woah!" he snapped.

"I was _with_ you, Dean!" Sam cried.

"Okay, okay, well, here I am, Sammy," Dean soothed, trying to keep his voice even.

"No, no, I don't… I…" Sam turned to look to his left, then back at Dean. "I can't know that for sure. You understand me?"

"Lucifer," Piper breathed. "He's still seeing Lucifer."

"Okay, then we're gonna have to start small." Dean's mind was racing.

Without warning, Sam turned and shot to his left. Dean felt his wife's hands fist in the back of his jacket, but she made no noise whatsoever.

"Sam!" he snapped. "This discussion does not require a weapons discharge!" Sam's chest was heaving and he was staring warily, but made no move to point the gun or move away when Dean started towards him slowly. Piper stayed with him, still holding onto his jacket. He was grateful for her presence.

"Look at me," Dean said, gentling his voice. "Come on. You don't know what's real?" He swallowed hard. "Look, man, I've been to Hell. Okay? I know a thing or two about torture. Enough to know that it feels different. Than the pain of this…" He waved his arm around. "This regular, stupid, crappy _this."_

Hell, and the memories thereof (and so he had to assume hallucinations would be the same) had a slightly hazy, sickening quality to it. The kind of thing that would make you sick if you looked at it for too long. Real memories, and real _life,_ was somehow grittier and cleaner at the same time. The difference between stepping in mud and getting shoved to the ground. Maybe you ended up covered in shit either way, but the _method_ made the difference. It was subtle, but it was there.

Nightmares from Hell were harder to wake up from.

Sam was shaking his head. "No, no. How can you know that for sure?"

Dean had an idea. It was a shitty idea, but an idea nonetheless, and all he had to boot. "Give me your hand." Sam lifted his right hand, and Dean rolled his eyes. "No, the gimp hand! Let me see it!"

Sam's eyes flitted over to his left again and he winced, but he held out his left hand dutifully. Dean took it and shook it lightly, drawing Sam's attention down to it.

" _This_ is real. Not a year ago, not in Hell, _now._ I was with you when you cut it! Piper sewed it up. Look!" He pressed a thumb to where the cut rested under the gauze. Sam winced a little. Dean saw as Piper calmly reached out and took hold of the barrel of the gun Sam was still holding in his right hand.

"See, Sammy? Pipes is right here. You _know_ her. You know Piper. You guys used to do all sorts of annoying shit together. Right? This is _different._ Than the crap that's tearing at your walnut? _I'm_ different. Right?"

Sam took both hands back, but let go of the gun. Piper took it, flicked the safety on, and stuck it in the pocket of her canvas jacket. Her hazel eyes were glued to Sam, concerned and pained. It made Dean's heart ache even more to see her so upset.

"Yeah," Sam said finally, his eyes landing on Piper. His face softened, just a little, but enough. "I think so."

Dean watched as Sam's eyes darted to his left again, and he winced at whatever it was that he heard there. "Sam?"

He watched as Sam took the thumb of his right hand and pressed down hard on the cut on his left palm. He blinked, then stared to the left as he did so.

"Sam," Piper said gently, moving to stand where he was looking, presumably where he was hallucinating Lucifer. "Sam, Dean's real, okay, and so am I. We're your flesh-and-blood siblings, okay?" She smiled a little. "We're the only ones who can really kick your giant ass in real time." She stepped forward and slowly, so slowly, cupped Sam's face in her hand. "You got out, Sammy. You got away."

Sam tilted his head into her hand, but his eyes were still flickering to a spot just behind her.

"Believe in that, Sam. Believe us. You've got to believe us. You have to make that stone number one and build on it, okay? Do you understand?"

Sam nodded weakly, and it was as if his strings had been cut. He sagged, the only part of him seemingly still holding up on its own where Piper was holding him.

"Yeah, yeah. Okay." Before any of them could say much else, Sam's phone was ringing in his pocket. He straightened up, fished it out, and answered. "Bobby, hey… A leviathan, do you think? Here?... Yeah, sure."

He hung up and looked around at them. "Bobby's got a live one."

Dean nodded. "Okay, let's go."

Piper smiled grimly. "First Sam, then Bobby."

Dean held her hand as they went back to the Impala.


	103. Not a Chapter

_I'm writing this as an explanation, an apology, and a hope._

 _For now, just for a while (I hope), this is where I'm leaving I'll Wait For You._

 _An explanation:_

 _I currently have seven works in progress. I have a schedule for which chapters to write and when. For the last several months, every time it's I'll Wait For You's turn to get a new chapter, I find myself honestly filled with dread. This story doesn't speak to me anymore, I'm not motivated to see these characters through their arcs and their timelines like I used to be. Maybe it's because of the AUs I've started to write. Maybe it's because this story is two years old now, over 100 chapters in. For whatever the reason, I'm just not feeling my heart in I'll Wait For You anymore, and it's making it hard to write it. I don't know if anyone else has, but I've definitely noticed the decrease in writing talent in these chapters. I honestly feel like I'm doing Piper a disservice by continuing._

 _An apology:_

 _I'm so sorry. For those of you have been with me and these characters forever, for those of you who have just come in, and for everyone who falls in the middle. I know how awful it is when an author feels like they have to make this decision for a story, as a reader, and I'm sorry to be putting you through it. I'm sorry that I'm not able to continue writing this story…_

 _A hope:_

 _… for now. While I really feel like I'm not doing Piper, Dean, Sam, Cass, and Bobby any justice right now, I really think that won't always be the case. I'm going to put this down for a while, tag it as "on hiatus," and see where life takes me. I really hope it will lead me back here._

 _Thank you, as always, for reading, and for loving these characters as much as I do. I hope I see you back here soon._

 _(If you are a subscriber, you will see a similar chapter on I Won't Love You. I feel the same way about that story, about Chrys, and about hoping that I can come back to it.)_


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